The Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) has expressed sorrow over the death of two of its students in a tragic motor accident that occurred on Saturday at Powerline Junction, inward Ikorodu Roundabout.
In a statement by the university management and the Head of the Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Olanrewaju Kuye, LASUSTECH on Sunday, the institution clarified that, contrary to media reports claiming that three of its students were killed in the incident, only two of the deceased were students of the institution.
The statement identified the victims as Oluwaseyitan Afolabi Emmanuel, a newly admitted 200-level Direct Entry student in the Department of Banking and Finance, College of Applied Social Sciences, and Ayomide Jagun, a 300-level student in the Department of Mechatronics Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology.
‘No other LASUSTECH students were involved, and none are receiving care in any hospital to the best of our knowledge’, the statement partly read.
According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the accident was caused by an unregistered truck loaded with sand that suffered brake failure, resulting in multiple collisions, injuries, and loss of lives.
LASUSTECH Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olumuyiwa Odusanya, according to the statement, has taken charge of the situation to ensure a proper response and support for all affected parties.
He has reportedly contacted the General Hospital, Ikorodu, and the Divisional Police Officer of the Shagamu Divisional Police Station, while also liaising with the Dean of Student Affairs, Director of Health Services, Heads of the affected Departments, and Deans of the respective Colleges to coordinate assistance for the bereaved families.
It added that the Students’ Representative Council has also been involved in the ongoing support efforts.
‘The Vice-Chancellor has given directives to support the families of the deceased, and this process has commenced immediately’, the statement added.
The university said it was reaching out directly to the parents and guardians of the deceased students to offer comfort and ensure that arrangements for a befitting burial were made.
‘The Vice-Chancellor extends our deepest condolences to the families of the departed, the entire student body, staff, and all stakeholders of LASUSTECH. We are devastated by this irreparable loss.
‘These young lives, full of promise and potential, have been cut short in the most cruel circumstances.
‘Our hearts ache with the families and the university community. We pray that our beloved students rest in peace and that God grants the families the fortitude to bear the irreparable losses’, the statement read.
LASUSTECH reaffirmed its commitment to the safety and well-being of all members of its community.
It was reported on Saturday that three people died in the accident, while seven others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a multi-vehicle collision along the Powerline Junction, inward Ikorodu Roundabout area of Lagos State.
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday.
