COVENANT UNIVERSITY STUDENT DIES DURING FOOTBALL TRAINING, MANAGEMENT DENIES NEGLIGENCE
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The management of Covenant University has confirmed the death of a 500-level student, Toluwase Emmanuel, following a medical emergency during a football training session on campus.
In a statement signed by Vice-Chancellor Timothy A. Anake on Wednesday, the university clarified the circumstances surrounding the incident, amid circulating social media allegations of negligence.
The statement revealed that the incident occurred on Monday, April 6, 2026, when Emmanuel stepped away from the football session due to fatigue and leg pain. “In a short while, his football mates observed that he was gasping for breath, and they responded swiftly by taking him to the Medical Centre’s emergency unit, which was directly opposite the playing field. However, he had stopped breathing by the time he arrived at the facility,” it read.
Medical personnel immediately initiated emergency procedures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with an automated external defibrillator (AED), but efforts to resuscitate the student were unsuccessful. The Vice-Chancellor stated that Emmanuel was later “certified clinically dead due to prior undisclosed heart condition.”
Addressing claims on social media alleging inadequate care, the university denied any form of negligence. “We wish to confirm that there was no form of negligence in the response of the medical personnel or a shortage of any required equipment for the treatment,” the statement added.
The management confirmed that senior officials, including the Vice-Chancellor, were present at the medical centre from the time of the incident until the arrival of the student’s family, and that they “remained with the family until he was laid to rest.”
Describing Emmanuel as “a diligent and vibrant” member of the university community, the institution extended condolences to his family, noting, “The entire Covenant University community extends our deepest condolences to the family for this loss. This is also a loss for the University and the entire society.”
The incident has sparked widespread social media reactions, with some alleging that the student died due to inadequate emergency response. The university, however, maintained that proper emergency protocols were followed and that there was no equipment failure or negligence in handling the situation.
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