Six final-year nursing students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) have been confirmed dead in a tragic road crash while travelling to sit for their final examinations.
The victims, all 500-level candidates in the institution’s Open and Distance Learning Bachelor of Nursing Science programme, were reportedly on their way to Ogbomoso, Oyo State, for what was meant to be the concluding phase of their academic journey when the fatal accident occurred.
Among those who lost their lives was a student said to be heavily pregnant at the time of the crash, deepening the grief surrounding the incident.
Their bodies have been deposited in a mortuary pending autopsy and further directives from the appropriate authorities.
The tragedy has cast a heavy pall over the university community and beyond, as colleagues, friends and loved ones struggle to come to terms with the devastating loss.
According to SaharaReporters, the deceased were practising nurses who had combined hospital duties with their academic pursuits. They were said to have been juggling professional responsibilities, family commitments and the rigorous demands of advanced nursing training before their untimely deaths.
Classmates who had looked forward to reuniting with them in the examination hall are now grappling with shock and disbelief.
As of the time of filing this report, the management of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology had yet to issue an official statement detailing the circumstances surrounding the accident. Authorities, including the Oyo State Police Command and the Federal Road Safety Corps, have also not publicly clarified the cause of the crash.
The incident has once again drawn attention to growing concerns over the spate of road accidents across Nigeria, with the condition of some highways frequently cited among contributing factors.
