By Inside OAU & Damilare Adeleye
The entire community of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) has been thrown into mourning as a final-year student, identified as Edu Rita Ema from the Department of foreign languages, lost her life on her way to submit her final year project.
It was learnt that the the tragic incident occurred on Thursday on the Ibadan-Ife Expressway, not far from the OAU campus gate.
Eyewitnesses reported that the car involved in the accident, a 2012/2014 Camry, was moving at an alarming speed, which led to the vehicle crashing and somersaulting, eventually landing upside down.
The impact was so severe that Rita was thrown into the air like a piece of paper, leading to her unfortunate and instant demise. Her head and leg were reportedly severed from her body, leaving a gruesome scene that has traumatized those who witnessed the event.
The driver of the vehicle attempted to flee the scene but was chased down by onlookers horrified by the accident. The cause of the reckless speeding remains unknown, and there are calls within the university community for a thorough investigation to bring justice for Rita.
As the news of Rita’s death spread, it cast a dark cloud over the university, with students and staff alike expressing their sorrow and disbelief. The broken covets at the campus gate, now understood to be the result of the crash, serve as a grim reminder of the tragic event.
The university administration has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident, and further personal details about Rita remain undisclosed at this time.
However, the loss of a promising final-year student has undoubtedly left a significant impact on the OAU community.
This tragedy serves as a somber reminder of the importance of road safety and the devastating consequences of reckless driving. As the investigation continues, the community holds its breath, hoping for answers and justice for Rita.
It was recalled that on 25th November 2021, a Part 2 male student of OAU, Joseph Daniel, lost his life in an auto crash that occurred around Ede Road, Ile-Ife.