Signing Out Ceremony Turns Tragic For Final Year Student

A signing out ceremony is usually a moment of indescribable joy for graduating students, but a recent such event, has now become of a beacon of agony and sadness.

It witnessed the murder of one of the graduating students, in a manner that has left sour tastes in the mouths of family members, friends and colleagues.

Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, where the event that took the life of Babalola, Marvelous Olanrewaju, a 300 Level student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is now on somber mood.

Incidentally, the institution had in 2021 banned signing out ceremony, stating that it had become precursor to immoralities and indiscipline.

Registrar of the institution, Olayinka Balogun, in a statement in Ibadan, said the tragic incident occurred last Wednesday at the Ultramodern Wazo market in Ogbomoso.

The statement read: “It is worthy of note that the university had issued a ban on sign out activities and consequently prohibited such within the precincts of its campus since 2023.

“Hotels in and around Ogbomoso were also informed and written not to avail LAUTECH students the use of their facilities for ceremonies of that nature.

“Despite the ban however, preliminary investigations after the occurrence revealed that a group of students who engaged in rule-bending behaviour, chose to hold a sign-out ceremony on the football pitch within the Wazo Ultramodern market.

“It was gathered that the ceremony turned tragic when a male student was shot, allegedly at the venue, and later succumbed to his injuries.

“Information was also received that he left the venue on his motorbike and struggled to move it till he fell off where he was later found unresponsive.

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“Upon receiving a distress call, the Acting Dean of Student Affairs promptly investigated the situation and contacted the relevant formations of the state Police Command in Ogbomoso, including the Monitoring Unit and the Area Command.

“Police personnel were deployed to the scene, and a search of the bag found on the body yielded information which the university checked from its back end and confirmed the deceased’s identity as Babalola, Marvelous Olanrewaju, a 300 Level student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

“The body was subsequently moved to the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Morgue.

“The University is cooperating fully with the police as investigations continue. We have also informed the parents of the deceased.

“The Management extends its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased. May God grant him eternal rest, and may his family find solace during this difficult time”, the statement stated.