The LAUTECH Iseyin campus has been thrown into turmoil following the tragic death of a student who was crushed by a bus, prompting protests and unrest among students. The management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, has officially suspended all academic activities at the LAUTECH Iseyin campus for two weeks, citing the need to restore calm and reinforce security measures after the heartbreaking incident.
According to reports, the deceased, Afolayan Oluwadarasimi Roseline, was a 200-level student of Agricultural Economics at the College of Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources, LAUTECH Iseyin campus. Reports revealed that she was on her way to refill a gas cylinder when a moving bus fatally struck her. The unfortunate incident sparked outrage within the student community, leading to violent demonstrations across parts of Iseyin. Students, in a fit of grief and anger, reportedly set the bus involved in the accident ablaze, causing chaos before authorities intervened to restore order.
In an official statement released by the Registrar, Olayinka O. Balogun, on Friday, the management confirmed that the LAUTECH Iseyin campus would remain closed until November 24, 2025. The decision, according to the statement, was taken to allow tempers to cool down and to ensure that adequate safety measures are implemented before the resumption of academic activities. The statement further directed all students in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources to proceed on a two-week break.
“The Management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, deeply regrets to announce the tragic passing of a 200-level student from the Department of Agricultural Economics, who was fatally hit by a reckless driver in Iseyin. Consequently, all students in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources are to proceed on a two-week break,” the statement read.
While the LAUTECH Iseyin campus community continues to mourn, the university faces another major challenge — a deepening dispute with the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) over the delayed implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).
The LAUTECH branch of NAMDA has strongly rejected the university management’s plan to begin the implementation of CONMESS in November 2025, with full rollout deferred until July 2026 — nearly 19 months after negotiations first began. According to the union, the delay represents a “deliberate act of deception and intimidation” by the university.
In a rejoinder signed by Acting Chairman Prof. Michael Olamoyegun and Acting Secretary Dr. Ayobami Alabi, NAMDA accused the LAUTECH management of “public deception” and “cheap propaganda.” The group claimed that the university’s proposed timeline was unjust and violated the Labour Act, the Trade Union Act, and the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantee fair treatment and non-discrimination for all workers.
NAMDA emphasized that every other medical school in Nigeria has already implemented CONMESS, and LAUTECH’s delay is both unfair and unacceptable. It argued that the promise to begin “partial implementation from November 2025” and complete it by “July 2026” would subject medical lecturers to continued hardship, describing it as “an insult to professional dignity.”
Furthermore, the association clarified that the recent protests by medical students were not triggered by union actions but by the university management’s failure to keep its promises. “Students are protesting because management has failed them, not because of our strike,” NAMDA stated.
The group demanded the immediate implementation of CONMESS using the Oyo State Government’s current template, with arrears to be paid from January 2025.
It also called on the university’s Governing Council and the Oyo State Government to step in and address the crisis to safeguard the integrity of medical education at LAUTECH.
Despite the ongoing strike that began on August 1, 2025, NAMDA reaffirmed its commitment to its students and professional responsibilities but maintained that the strike would continue until full implementation of CONMESS is achieved.
As the LAUTECH Iseyin campus mourns the loss of one of its brightest young students and the institution grapples with internal staff disputes, many observers believe these twins crises highlight the urgent need for improved safety, better management communication, and enhanced welfare policies across the university.