There was outrage following the news that Joshua Daniel, a 100-level Computer Science student of Veritas University, Abuja, Nigeria has passed away.
The year-one student allegedly died on Tuesday while exercising at the gymnasium on the school campus.
Ben Agande, Head, Corporate Affairs of the School, in a statement, said that attempts by the medical ream of the school, led by the Chief Medical Director, to revive him failed.
Agande noted that parents of the deceased student had been promptly notified of the tragic event, and the school Authority, as a matter of procedure, had duly informed the police.
He added, “Our thoughts are with the parents of late Joshua Daniel, as well as the Head of Department and Students of the Department of Computer Sciences over this unfortunate loss.
“We pray for the peaceful repose of the soul of our student, and extend our most sincere condolences to the parents, and also pray that God grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.
“As a university, we will cooperate fully with the Police, the parents of the deceased, and all relevant authorities to unravel the probable cause of death.
“We also plead with our colleagues in the media and members of the public to be respectful of the privacy of our late student’s parents at this trying moment, while the police carry out its investigations.”
However, a human rights lawyer, Mr Deji Adeyanju, who is representing the family opposed the school’s account, saying that the parents of the deceased student suspected foul play and gross negligence.
“The parents of the deceased student suspect foul play and gross negligence,” he said.
A family source speaking on the development on Thursday said they found five stab wounds on the deceased student.
“The school laid him down on the stretcher in the mortuary where they dumped him at Fatima Hospital, Bwari before we transferred the body to the mortuary at the National Hospital in Abuja.
“The body was prepared and handed over to the parent as if nothing happened. When we turned him over, blood started coming out of his mouth,” the source added.
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command has ordered an immediate investigation into the death of the student.
The spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh, told SaharaReporters on Thursday that the police commissioner, Bennett Igweh, had ordered an immediate investigation into the incident.
She explained that the commissioner directed the DC CID to conduct a discreet investigation into the matter.
“The Commissioner of Police has ordered an immediate investigation into the incident. He directed the DC CID to conduct a discreet investigation on the matter. Further development will be communicated,” she said.
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