Flood Sweeps Away Ondo Varsity Final Year Student

The torrential rainfall of almost eight hours in Ondo State on Monday evening claimed the life of a final year female student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Akoko Southwest local government.

The deceased simply called ‘Doyin’, an indigene of Ekiti State, was washed away to an unknown destination by flood from a canal very close to her residence.

Her landlord, Elemukona Ademola, who narrowly escaped the flood, said: “I had to climb cocoa tree when many people thought I had been carried away by the flood.’’

At the scene of the incident, the Ondo Commissioner for Agriculture, Otunba Gboyega Adefarati, warned citizens from building houses very close to canals.

He also cautioned those who are in the habit of blocking the drainages with refuse to desist from such act as this practice lead to flooding.

The university authorities yesterday suspended lectures and tests earlier scheduled for Tuesday over the incident.

A statement by the institution’s Acting Registrar, Opeolu Akinfemiwa, however, said all students should resume on Wednesday.

According to him: “The university is leaving no stone unturned in the quest to find the missing student. Divers and other volunteers have been sought to search the path of the river in a bid to find the missing under graduate.”

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Akungba, CSP Shakiru Ajibola, confirmed the incident and said three persons including a landlord of the house where the girl was carried away by flood were rescued.

He noted that divers were still looking for the undergraduate in the neighbouring rivers.

Already, many roads in Akokoland had become impassable as serious erosion had affected them, especially Jubilee road, Hospital junction, Bankole road Ilepa Ikare, Okoja Awara road,Irun to Ojeka,Irun to Surulere to Oluta and Okeagbe to Afin to Eshe.