A 500-level student of Covenant University (CU), Jesutunmise Emmanuel, has died after experiencing a health complication during a football training session.
Reports indicate that Emmanuel stepped out of the game to rest after complaining of leg pains and fatigue. According to a statement from the university’s management, the student began gasping for breath shortly after taking a break.
Colleagues rushed him to the university’s medical centre, where he was pronounced dead. The incident occurred on April 6, 2026.
Emmanuel’s death has sparked public outcry, with social media users accusing the university of medical negligence. Many claimed that the medical centre lacked oxygen to support the student’s breathing, while others alleged that staff “switched to prayers” instead of administering urgent medical care.
Covenant University has faced similar scrutiny in the past, with reports of student deaths in 2017 and 2025 under comparable circumstances, raising renewed concerns about campus healthcare readiness.
The incident has reignited debates over the adequacy of emergency medical facilities in Nigerian tertiary institutions and the need for strict adherence to safety protocols during sports and other physical activities.
