Oro Curfew Delayed R£scue: UNIOSUN Breaks Silence on Student’s D£ath

The management of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has pushed back against what it describes as “misleading narratives” surrounding the death of final-year student, Grace Osunlakin, offering a detailed account of her final hours.

In a preliminary report released by the institution, the university clarified that the late student, who studied Criminology and Security Studies at the Ifetedo Campus, showed no signs of illness while on campus earlier that day.

According to the report, Osunlakin successfully defended her final-year project on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at about 1:15 p.m., after which she interacted with her supervisor and colleagues before returning to her off-campus residence.

The university disclosed that she had a known history of asthma, a condition documented since her first year, with her last recorded visit to the school’s health facility dated March 26, 2026.

Events reportedly took a turn later that evening after she returned from a Christian fellowship and complained of stomach pain. A close friend and housemate, Durosinmi Mariam, said Osunlakin went to the restroom, where she screamed in distress. She was subsequently assisted back to her room as her condition worsened.

By about 11:30 p.m., a decision was made to seek urgent medical attention. However, the university noted that movement within Ifetedo was restricted at the time due to an unannounced Oro ritual, which significantly delayed transportation.

Despite the constraints, she was eventually transported on a motorcycle to a nearby community health centre in Ikija. On arrival, she reportedly lost consciousness and was placed on a stretcher, where she was later confirmed dead by medical personnel.

University officials, including her project supervisor and other lecturers, were contacted and arrived shortly after. Seeking further confirmation, they moved her remains to another hospital in Ondo, where she was again declared dead on arrival.

Her body was subsequently deposited at a mortuary in Ondo in the early hours of the following day.

UNIOSUN emphasized that at no point during the incident was Osunlakin taken to the university’s health centre, reiterating her underlying medical condition as part of the context surrounding her death.

The institution extended condolences to her family and colleagues, while assuring the public that further reviews into the circumstances of the incident are ongoing.