Final-year OAU student beaten to death over phone theft
By Muhammadu Sabiu
A mob reportedly lynched Okolie Ahize, a final-year student from the Department of Civil Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife.
Ahize allegedly got hit for stealing a cell phone from the university’s Hall of Residence. It was learned that the student had been tortured and was declared dead upon arrival at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex’s Emergency Medicine Department on Tuesday afternoon.
A statement by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, reads, “The Administration of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has condemned, in strong terms, the incidence that led to the death of a part 5 student of the institution.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the student died of a mob action on the allegation that he stole a phone.
“Saddened by this ugly development which he described as unfortunate, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, has set up a committee to unravel the circumstances that led to this incident.
“The action of the mob, being a violation of the law of the country and of the University regulations, has been reported to the police who have commenced investigations.”