The Nigeria Police have opened an investigation into the death of a final-year student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Oluwole Oluwaseun, whose body was discovered at his off-campus residence in Osun State.
Oluwaseun, a student of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, reportedly died on Tuesday afternoon at his residence in the Damico area of Ooni Layout, Ile-Ife.
The university confirmed the incident on Wednesday through its Public Relations Officer, Olarewaju Abiodun, who said the institution’s Quick Response and Security Team moved to the location after receiving information about the death.
Police officers from the ‘A’ Division, Moore, Ile-Ife, subsequently joined the university’s security personnel at the scene.
Abiodun said the student was taken to the university’s Health Centre, where a medical doctor certified him dead.
The university has since handed information and items recovered from the residence to the police as investigators begin work to establish the circumstances surrounding the death.
“The University’s Quick Response and Security (QRS) Team immediately proceeded to the location. The Nigeria Police was immediately contacted, and officers from the ‘A’ Division, Moore, Ile-Ife, joined the University’s security personnel at the scene.
“The student was subsequently conveyed to the University Health Centre, where he was certified dead by a medical doctor,” Abiodun said.
The circumstances surrounding Oluwasegun’s death have not been publicly established, while the police investigation is expected to determine what happened before his death.
The university said it had also notified the appropriate student affairs authorities to provide follow-up support, particularly for students affected by the incident.
The death has drawn attention to the pressures that can confront students in their final stages of university education, although the institution has not attributed the incident to any particular academic, financial, relationship or personal difficulty.
In its response, the university specifically referenced several forms of distress that students may encounter, including emotional difficulties, relationship problems and financial pressures.
It advised students facing severe distress or personal challenges to seek assistance from trusted individuals and available university support structures.
The institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simeon Bamire, conveyed management’s condolences to the deceased’s family, friends, classmates and colleagues.
Abiodun said the university leadership had reaffirmed its commitment to student welfare, and that no student should feel compelled to face overwhelming difficulties alone.
The incident follows another suicide involving an OAU student reported in August 2025. In that case, a second-year dentistry student, Ajibola Ibitayo, died after reportedly learning that he would have to repeat his class. The circumstances reported in that earlier case were different from those surrounding Oluwasegun’s death, and there is no indication from the university that the two incidents are connected.
As for the recent case, investigators are now expected to establish the facts surrounding Oluwasegun’s death as the university continues its welfare response among students and those who knew him.
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