Metro

OAU Graduate Dies Despite N9.4m Cancer Treatment

Published

11 months ago

February 16, 2025

A 31-year-old graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Oluwafemi Ayo-Owolawi, has died months after Nigerians raised N9.4m to help him through a protracted battle with renal cancer.

Oluwafemi’s death was disclosed by a Lagos-based public analyst, Yinka Ogunnubi, on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the unfortunate passing of Oluwafemi Ayomide Ayo-Owolawi. Femi has gone to be with the Lord and will be buried today.

“His family wishes to express their profound thanks and gratitude to all those who contributed towards his cancer treatment. You all gave Femi a fighting chance,” Ogunnubi wrote.

He added, “Femi fought, he did. Even in death, he was smiling. We thank God for his life and the impact he made while he was still with us. May God console his family, may God strengthen his mum, and may Femi’s soul find eternal rest. RIP Champion!”

Ogunnubi revealed that in 2024, he launched a social media campaign with a GoFundMe organised by one Ayomide Adebanjo to raise funds for Femi’s cancer treatment.

“Six months ago, I launched an appeal for Femi who is battling colon cancer. It has been a very long ride but we thank God for where we are now. Femi is doing so much better and we are confident he will beat this cancer,” he wrote.

In the post, Adebanjo revealed that N12m was needed to fund Femi’s cancer treatment, but only N9.5m could be raised from the GoFundMe campaign, out of which N9.4m was spent on Femi’s surgery and Chemo’s treatments.

He explained, “After the initial surgery in May, we waited for the oncologist’s report to determine the next steps. We consulted with two different oncologists and the conclusions were more or less the same; that he must undergo 12 cycles of chemo at the first instance.

“We had an initial target of N12m but all in all, we raised in total N9,511,824 and have spent a total of N9,405,829.72,” he explained.

According to The PUNCH, Oluwafemi was a Lagos-based business analyst who hailed from Ile-Ife in Osun State.

In 2015, he graduated from OAU, where he studied Economics Education.

He was the last child of his parents but lost his father 24 years ago, with his mother being the sole sponsor of his education.

In an interview he granted to The PUNCH in June last year while on the sickbed, the late Oluwafemi said his painful health nightmare began in March 2022, when he first noticed symptoms of blood, bleeding, and passing out.

He said he spent a few months at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, where it was confirmed that he had renal cancer.

As of the time of the interview, Femi said the cancer had reached stage two, with serious health complications that had caused him heavy financial strain.

Metro

18-year-old OAU Medical Student Dies While Sleeping

Published

14 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Editor

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, has announced the death of an 18-year-old part-three medical student of the institution.

The student, identified as Timilehin Adetoye Toromade, was a student of the College of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine and Surgery.

According to a statement by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, Timilehin with matriculation number CLI/2022/133, reportedly died in his sleep in the early hours of Tuesday, January 6, 2026.

The statement revealed that the “university received the news of the student’s passing with shock and deep sorrow”.

It also described the incident as devastating to the academic community.

According to the statement, “preliminary information suggested that the student might have died shortly after 2 a.m., as one of his roommates reportedly said the deceased opened the door for another student around that time.

“The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, expressed condolences on behalf of the Visitor, the University Council, Management, Senate, staff and students”.

The VC, Professor Bamire, described the incident as a painful loss, saying, “The loss of a young life filled with promise, purpose, and potential is a tragedy that words alone cannot adequately capture.”

He added that the university community was united in grief over the passing of a student who had embraced the rigours of medical training with the aim of serving humanity.

According to him, the death had left a void among the student’s peers and all those who knew him within the university community.

The university management stated that it was working closely with relevant authorities to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the incident, in line with established medical and administrative procedures.

It also disclosed that appropriate support measures were being put in place to assist students and members of the university community who may have been emotionally affected by the loss.

The management called on students, staff, alumni and friends of the institution to remain calm and compassionate, while extending sympathy to the family of the deceased.

Metro

Panic As BRT Bus Catches Fire On Third Mainland Bridge

Published

15 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Editor

Panic gripped motorists on Tuesday afternoon following a fire outbreak involving a Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, vehicle on the Third Mainland Bridge, leading to massive traffic disruption.

The incident occurred around 1:00 p.m. near the Adekunle section of the bridge, heading towards Iyana Oworo.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, confirmed the development in a statement posted on its official X handle.

According to the agency, the high-capacity BRT bus suddenly went up in flames, prompting anxiety among road users in the area.

Footage shared online showed the bus completely consumed by fire, with thick plumes of smoke rising into the sky as motorists slowed down or sought alternative routes to avoid the scene.

While no injuries or loss of life were reported, the incident caused a heavy traffic buildup extending from Adekunle towards Iyana Oworo.

“A high-capacity bus is currently on fire on the Third Mainland Bridge by Adekunle, inward Iyana Oworo, and this is impacting traffic flow,” LASTMA stated.

“Our personnel are on ground managing traffic, while efforts are ongoing to extinguish the fire,” the agency added.

Subsequent updates indicated that officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene and worked to control the blaze to prevent further damage.

Traffic officers were also deployed to redirect vehicles away from the affected area as emergency responders tackled the situation.

As of the time this report was filed, the cause of the fire had yet to be determined.

Metro

Kwara Vigilante Men Arrested By Soldiers In Edo State Released

Published

17 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Editor

Six Kwara State vigilante men arrested by the Nigerian Army on December 31,2025, along Auchi-Ikpeshi highway in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, have been released after a thorough investigation by the authorities.

Spokesperson of the state police command, SP Adetoun Ejire Adeyemi, confirmed the development in a statement in Ilorin on Tuesday.

The statement read in part; “The Kwara State Police Command wishes to confirm that on Wednesday, 31st December, 2025, it received six vigilante members who were earlier arrested by personnel of the Nigerian Army along the Auchi–Ikpeshi Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.

“The Vigilantes, travelling in a vehicle belonging to Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, were formally handed over to the Kwara State Police Command by the Brigade Commander, 22 Armoured Brigade, Sobi Barracks, Ilorin, Brigadier General N.N. Rume, for the purpose of investigation and profiling.

“Following a thorough investigation, it was established that the individuals are legitimate members of a vigilante group operating in collaboration with recognised security agencies in the ongoing efforts to combat banditry and other forms of criminality.

“Consequently, having been exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing, the vigilante members were released to their respective leaders,” the statement added.

The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, reiterated the command’s commitment to synergy among security agencies and community-based security outfits, while urging all groups to continually operate within the confines of the law.

He assured members of the public that the command remains steadfast in its resolve to ensure the safety and security of all residents of the state.