Students of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Ifetedo Campus, have alleged that negligence at the institution’s health centre contributed to the death of a final-year student, Grace Osunlakin, an allegation the university has denied.

Grace, a final-year student of Criminology and Security Studies, reportedly died on Wednesday, prompting protests by students on the campus.

The protesting students claimed that Osunlakin had earlier visited the university’s health centre after falling ill but was allegedly advised to return to her hostel without receiving treatment.

According to the students, her condition later worsened and when they sought medical help in the evening, the university health centre was no longer open.

They alleged that the delay in accessing medical care contributed to her death.

One of the protesting students said the deceased was asthmatic and had sought treatment at the health facility earlier in the day.

“The clinic allegedly asked her to go back and rest. Later, when her condition deteriorated, we returned but found the health centre closed. We eventually took her to another hospital, but it was too late,” the student claimed.

The students described the incident as one of several concerns regarding access to healthcare on the campus and called for improvements in medical services.

However, the university rejected the allegations of negligence, describing the claims as misleading.

In a statement, the institution’s spokesperson, Adesoji Ademola, said Osunlakin had a documented history of asthma since her admission into the university and was last treated at the university health centre on March 26, 2026.

According to the statement, information obtained from her friend and housemate, Miss Durosinmi Mariam, indicated that Osunlakin returned from a Christian fellowship on the night of the incident and later complained of stomach pain.

The university said she subsequently went to the toilet, where she cried out in distress before being assisted back to her room by her housemate.

It stated that as her condition worsened, arrangements were made at about 11:30 p.m. to take her to a medical facility.

The statement added that movement was affected by an unannounced Oro ritual in Ifetedo, making transportation difficult, but students eventually transported her on a motorcycle to the Community Health Centre in Ikija, Ifetedo.

The university maintained that Osunlakin was not taken to the university health centre at any time on the night of the incident.

According to the statement, she lost consciousness on arrival at the community health centre, where the matron on duty later confirmed her death in the presence of her friends and university officials.

It added that her lecturers subsequently took her to Goshen Specialist Hospital in Ondo for further medical confirmation, where she was reportedly confirmed dead on arrival before her remains were deposited at the Divine Haven Funeral Home.

The university expressed condolences to the deceased’s family and maintained that the circumstances surrounding her death did not support allegations of negligence by the institution’s health services. (Vanguard, excluding headline)

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