UNIZIK students protest death of final year colleague

ACTIVITIES were partially paralyzed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University and in Ifitte community in Anambra State, as students marched in thousands in what was a peaceful demonstration to protest the death of one of their final year colleague identified as, Francis Chinedu Mmadubuobi, who died last week Saturday.

Mmadubuobi, who was said to be a 400 level student of the Department of Applied Microbiology and Brewing, was said to have died around 9pm on Saturday due to the refusal of the medical team to treat him as they said the doctor who would have attended to the death one was not on the ground.

The student disrupts all the entrance gates to the institution as well as the blocked motorable path. They equally blocked Ifitte road from Aroma junction that links the school and caused a standstill.

However, there were two conflicting reports as regards the death of the final year student.

According to the protesting students, Mmadubuobi who was playing basketball with his friend slumped around 5:30 pm and started gasping.

The students said that the moment other playing students saw him, they called the university health centre to send an ambulance but they refused and they decide to take him to the school medical centre saying that at the centre they were no medical personnel to attend to him which
prompted them to take him to Amaku hospital but before their arrival for the treatment, he died.

“A student who identified himself as Miracle said, “The medical students on the ground tried their best. They gave him mouth to mouth respiration to resuscitate him to no avail. Eventually, we carried him straight to the Amaku hospital, on getting to the hospital, the boy gave up the ghost.”

Another report was given by his colleague in the same department of the same department, who does not want his name on the print for the fear of intimidation said that the student died for lack of medical attention at the institution health centre.

ALSO READ: 2019: Saraki set to launch presidential bid

Also, the students who surrounded him when he was speaking to newsmen violently protested against the school saying that the school authority was preventing them from protesting in order to cover what really happened.

As at the time of filing this report policemen and members of the school security were on ground to prevent the situation from generating to an unthinkable level.

The effort to get the VC to speak to the newsmen as at the time of filing this report proved abortive as he was busy trying to calm down the situation.

But in a swift reaction, the Public Relations and Protocol, Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Dr Emmanuel Ojukwu refutes the allegation saying the deceased slumped while playing basketball with friends on Saturday, July 21, 2018.

According to him, the deceased was quickly rushed to the University Medical Centre but had no pulse upon examination. This means that he had died before being brought to the University Medical Centre. He was thereafter taken to Teaching Hospital Amaku for a further attempt at
salvaging an already bad situation. He was without a pulse and confirmed dead.

The Management is deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident and appeals for calm among the students.

He then called on the Staff and students to pray for the repose of the soul of Chinedu Mmadubuobi and for God to grant the family and friends the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

May his gentle soul find solace in the bossom of our Lord, the PRO concluded.