Ladoke Akintola University of Technology grieves loss of six final-year nursing students in highway crash
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, is in mourning following the death of six of its final-year nursing students in a road accident along the Ilorin–Ogbomoso corridor in Kwara State.
In an official communication issued on February 24, 2026, the institution’s Registrar, Olayinka Balogun, conveyed the university’s shock and sadness over the incident, describing it as a painful blow to the university community.
The victims — Shehu Nana Firdawsi Hamza, Idris Jamila, Abdulraheem Maimunah Hamza, Blessing Kevwe, Owoicho Elizabeth, and Aroke Ozavize Victoria — were enrolled in the university’s Open and Distance Learning Nursing programme and were in their final year of study.
The students were said to be travelling from Suleja in Niger State to Ogbomoso to sit for their final examinations when the crash occurred at Otte on Sunday, February 22, 2026.
In the statement, the university expressed profound grief over the loss, noting that the students had demonstrated commitment and perseverance in pursuit of their academic and professional goals. Their deaths, the management stated, have cast a pall over the campus community.
The university extended its sympathies to the bereaved families and loved ones, assuring them of its solidarity during the difficult period. It also appealed to the public to keep the families in their thoughts as they cope with the tragedy.
This development comes weeks after a similar incident in Kwara State. Earlier in February, Kwara State University confirmed that one of its 400-level students, Idris Agboluaje, died in a separate road accident in the Malete area while reportedly travelling for an examination.
As of press time, officials have not released additional information regarding the circumstances that led to the Otte crash.
