Olayinka Ishola, younger sister of a Ladoke Akintola University of Technology graduate, Oluwatomisin, tells GRACE EDEMA how her brother died barely 24 hours after his convocation

Could you introduce yourself and tell us your relationship with the deceased whose photo appeared on your social media?

My name is Isola Olayinka from Ikare, Ondo State. The person involved was my brother. I am 25 years old, and he was 28.

When was his convocation?

Oluwatomisin’s convocation was on April 22, 2026, and he died the following day.

What is the name of the school, and what course did he study?

He graduated from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, where he studied Science Laboratory Technology.

Can you describe how the convocation day went?

Everything went well. He was not sick; he was only a bit tired from the stress of the day. He was on the field waiting for us, and we arrived a little late because we were bringing food to celebrate with him and his friends.

We celebrated together: my mother, younger brother, younger sister, and I. Our father stayed back at home. My brother did not complain of any health issues.

What happened after the celebration?

After the convocation, we all went home. We ate, including the cake we brought for him. There were no issues. I even prepared Semovita for him that night. We spent time together watching movies, chatting, and relaxing before eventually going to bed.

What happened afterwards?

The next morning, he woke up and said he wanted to go and play football. It was around the period of their football matches in school. Although he had not been able to play earlier because of the convocation, he was eager to go.

Before leaving, he told me to cook beans for him and said he would be back soon. I agreed. So, I prepared beans for him and my mother, while my sister and I made rice for ourselves.

We were waiting for him to return when my younger brother suddenly called and told us to come over to his place urgently. At that point, we did not understand what was happening, but he insisted that we come immediately.

I asked my mother to take a bath while I continued cooking rice. Before long, two of his friends came around.

Even before then, people had been coming to his room asking, “Where is he?” We kept telling them that he had gone out to play football.

He had even left his phone behind in the room. Then the phone started ringing repeatedly. At first, I did not want to answer the calls, but my mother asked me to pick up and tell the callers that he was not around.

What were you told when you eventually answered the call?

When I finally answered, the caller also asked, “Where is he?” I told them he had gone to play football, and they said I should ask him to call back whenever he returned.

Shortly afterwards, two of his close friends came in and also asked about him. At that point, we still did not suspect anything was wrong.

Then a girl we knew came in. She looked visibly disturbed and sat down quietly. When we asked what was wrong, she said she had seen something on their group chat, a picture of him with people writing “RIP” beneath it.

At first, I did not believe it. I thought it might be someone else who looked like him. The picture being circulated was even from his convocation photoshoot, taken just the day before.

Around the same time, my younger brother, who is also a student of LAUTECH, kept calling and urging us to come over to his place because he needed to show us something urgently.

But I told him we were waiting for my elder brother to return so we could all go out together.

When the lady mentioned seeing “RIP” on his photo in a WhatsApp group, what did you initially suspect?

After we heard the disturbing news, everything changed. No one could eat anymore. Even the food I was cooking lost its meaning. My mother could not eat either. We all became anxious and decided to go to my younger brother’s place.

What happened when you got there?

When we arrived, his girlfriend opened the door. We asked for my younger brother, but she said he had stepped out to get something for us. That did not sit right with me. I knew he would not leave without informing us, especially at a time like that.

She kept trying to calm us down and asked us to relax, but we were already worried. Shortly afterwards, one of my brother’s close friends, who was familiar with the place, arrived as well.

Different people started posting his picture online. It happened very fast.

Why were they posting so quickly?

He had only left the room about 20 to 30 minutes earlier, saying he was going to play football, and then people were already posting that he was dead.

We only heard about his death about one or two hours after it happened. At first, I refused to believe it. I kept saying, “No, that’s not my brother.” I cried and said I was still preparing food for him, expecting him to return.

I decided to call his coach because he had mentioned earlier that the coach had been calling him to come and play. When I spoke with the coach, he said my brother had gone to the field but was no longer with him.

Meanwhile, my younger brother had already heard what happened, but could not bring himself to tell us. He was crying and trying to compose himself. By then, everyone around us, my mother, my sister, his girlfriend, and I, had started crying. It was a huge shock. Someone had just stepped out, and suddenly, people were saying he was dead.

Later, we noticed a crowd gathering outside, including people who had been on the football field. After some time, my younger brother arrived with some older men, the coach, his teammates, and several others. They tried to console us, saying we should take heart because he had passed away.

What did they say happened to him?

They said he did not even play football that day. The match had not started. He was simply on the field when he suddenly became weak, started going down, and eventually collapsed.

When did he leave the house that day?

He left around 8:20 a.m. or thereabouts. We did not hear about his death until around 11:20 a.m. By that time, he had already passed away. They later told us he died about 20 minutes after leaving the house.

How would you describe your late brother?

Tomisin was very quiet, gentle, and friendly. He was kind and avoided trouble. He hates having issues with anyone. He mostly kept a small circle of friends, especially from his football team.

His closest friends were calm and easy-going people like him. He actually had more female friends than male friends, and they would often come around to keep us company whenever we visited him.

Had he ever complained of any health challenge?

No. He never complained of headaches or any illness. He was always strong and healthy.

What do you think might have happened?

I cannot say for sure. A relative who is a doctor suggested it might have been cardiac arrest. But from what I saw, he seemed perfectly fine.

I still feel it may have been due to stress and lack of rest after the convocation. Perhaps he did not get enough rest. After the convocation, he was supposed to relax, but the next morning, he went straight to the football field.

Before gaining admission, he struggled a lot, and we were all happy that he finally graduated. Sadly, less than 24 hours after celebrating that achievement, we lost him.

How is the family coping with the incident?

It has been very difficult for all of us. It is devastating. We are still in shock. My mother is struggling the most. She cries every day.

Even when I sleep, I see him in my dreams, happy, alive, and playing with me. But when I wake up, it is painful because reality sets in all over again.

Tell us about his struggle before gaining admission.

Oluwatomisin really struggled before gaining admission. He spent about four years trying to secure a place in a higher institution. He applied to different schools and explored various options.

At one point, he attended a College of Nursing. He spent money and made considerable effort, but things did not work out. He returned home and began teaching in a school while continuing to pursue admission opportunities.

He later enrolled in a pre-degree programme at Ahmadu Bello University. After spending a year there, he still was not offered admission.

He returned to teaching, saved money, and kept trying.

Eventually, with the support of someone who believed in him, he gained admission into LAUTECH.

Even after gaining admission, the challenges did not end. While he was in 200 Level, his name suddenly disappeared from the school records.

We were all afraid he would lose the opportunity he had worked so hard for. Thankfully, with the assistance of a staff member who helped resolve the registration issue, the problem was sorted out.

Even while in school, he was very hardworking. He did not depend entirely on our parents.

He supported himself by buying and selling phones and later learned phone repairs.

Oluwatomisin was already making plans for the future. He intended to open a shop and had carefully outlined the items he wanted to stock. He showed us invoices for the goods he planned to purchase.

He wanted to establish a business selling phones, especially iPhones and related accessories. He had everything mapped out and was looking forward to starting immediately after graduation.

We were all happy for him. It felt like a new beginning after his convocation, a fresh chapter in his life. He was excited, and we celebrated that moment together.

How much was he able to invest?

The invoice we saw on his table was valued at about N2m.

Had the goods been delivered?

No, the goods had not been delivered because he had not yet made payment. He planned to pay after his convocation, possibly the following week, and then set everything up.

What did he hope to become in life?

He loved football deeply. Everything about him revolved around football. It was his greatest passion.

In fact, plans were being made for him to travel abroad in May 2026 to play football before he died. We were told he might be travelling to Italy, possibly the month after his convocation, although I do not know all the details.

What is the name of the team?

He had a football identification card, but I do not know the name of the team offhand. It is part of a local football association.

What do you do for a living?

I make and sell hair products. I currently work from my mother’s shop. My mother is a hairdresser. (Saturday PUNCH)