UNIOSUN investigates student’s death, plans health service upgrades

The management of Osun State University has set up a committee to look into the death of a 400-level student, Osunlakin Grace. They announced major changes to healthcare services at all campuses after meeting with the National Association of Nigerian Students, Southwest Zone D.

The resolutions were shared in a statement by NANS Southwest Coordinator, Adeyemo Josiah, on Tuesday. This followed a meeting between the university management, led by Vice-Chancellor Professor Odunayo Adeboye, and NANS Southwest leaders regarding the death of the Criminology and Security Studies student and other student welfare issues.

During the meeting, NANS Southwest Coordinator, Adeyemo Josiah, said, “The welfare, safety, and well-being of students across the Southwest remain the foremost priority of the NANS Southwest leadership.” He emphasized that the association values constructive dialogue with university management but will continue to speak out whenever students’ welfare is overlooked.

In response, Adeboye expressed sorrow over Osunlakin’s death, calling the situation painful for the university community. He announced plans to set up another health center at the Ifetedo Campus, where the deceased studied, and to strengthen healthcare facilities at other campuses.

Adeboye also revealed that all medical centers would start operating 24 hours a day. This is to ensure that students can access healthcare services at any time. According to NANS, Adeboye added that health centers would be equipped with reliable solar-powered electricity to tackle power supply issues. Functional ambulances will also be provided for emergencies.

He mentioned that qualified medical doctors and professional nurses would be hired and posted to the university’s health facilities to enhance healthcare delivery. The Vice-Chancellor encouraged students and parents to disclose any underlying medical conditions. This is because the university has found many cases of students with serious health issues that their parents or guardians do not know about, which makes emergency help difficult.

Students’ Union President, Oremokun Shedrack, spoke on behalf of the students and presented their demands. According to the statement, the students requested the relocation of the Health Centre at the Ifetedo Campus. They also asked for a review and rehabilitation of all health centers across the university, 24-hour operations of all medical facilities, and the recruitment of qualified healthcare professionals.

Other requests included a review of TISHIP and HMO code generation processes, the immediate reopening of the Welfare Director’s portal, repair and maintenance of the university ambulance, and the provision of essential medical equipment like a Nebulizer machine. They also appealed to the Osun State Government for better healthcare facilities in the university communities.

In reply, the Vice-Chancellor assured the students that the management would implement most of the requests within its administrative limits. He explained that the call for better healthcare facilities outside the university is the responsibility of the Osun State and Federal Governments.

As part of efforts to improve accountability and healthcare delivery, Adeboye announced the formation of a University Committee on Health Services. This committee will include Students’ Union representatives from all campuses and relevant university officials. He said, “The committee has been mandated to thoroughly examine the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate death of Late Osunlakin Grace, review the factors that led to the students’ protest, assess all matters relating to healthcare services across the university, and make practical recommendations to the management for immediate and long-term improvements.”

Adeboye added that the committee must submit its report to the university management “within one week” from June 29, 2026, to help with the quick implementation of its recommendations.

At the end of the meeting, Kayode praised the university management for being open, sincere, and committed to students’ welfare. He said that NANS Southwest would “continue to monitor the implementation of the agreed resolutions to ensure that every commitment made translates into tangible improvements for students.”

Josiah also urged the university management to speed up the implementation of the resolutions and ensure that academic activities resume on time. In response, Adeboye said the Welfare Director’s portal would be reopened immediately, and students would return to academic activities within two weeks.

He explained that this extension would allow the university to carry out proper fumigation of hostels and other sanitation measures. This is to provide a healthier and safer environment for students.

PUNCH Online had earlier reported that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke described Osunlakin’s death as “painful and deeply heartbreaking.” He directed a thorough review of healthcare service delivery across all UNIOSUN campuses. However, the university denied claims of negligence, stating that initial findings showed the deceased was not taken to the medical center on the night of the incident.

The management claimed she complained of stomach pain after returning to her off-campus residence and was later taken to the Community Health Centre in Ikija, Ifetedo, where she reportedly lost consciousness and was confirmed dead. They also mentioned that transportation was delayed due to an unannounced Oro ritual that limited movement in the community.