The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, has announced that it will investigate the death of an 18-year-old medical student, Timilehin Toromade, who reportedly died in his sleep.
The university disclosed this in a statement announcing the death of the Part Three student of the College of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine and Surgery, signed by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, and obtained in Osogbo on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Toromade, with matriculation number CLI/2022/133, was believed to have passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
The management said preliminary information suggested that the student may have died after 2 a.m., noting that one of his roommates reportedly opened the door for another medical student residing in the same building around that time.
“The Management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has received with profound shock, deep sorrow and a heavy heart the devastating news of the sudden passing of an eighteen-year-old Part Three student of the College of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine and Surgery, who reportedly died in his sleep in the early hours of today, Tuesday, 6th of January, 2026,” the statement read.
In a condolence message, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Simeon Bamire, expressed sympathy to the family of the deceased, as well as his classmates, colleagues and friends.
Describing the incident as “deeply painful and distressing,” Bamire said the entire university community was united in grief over the student’s untimely death.
“The entire university community is united in grief over the untimely departure of a student who had embraced the rigours of medical training with the hope of, one day, healing others and serving humanity,” he said.
“The loss of a young life filled with promise, purpose and potential is a tragedy that words alone cannot adequately capture.”
The university management assured the public 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 added that support measures were being put in place to assist students and members of the university community who have been emotionally affected by the loss.
“At this moment of collective mourning, we call on students, staff, alumni and friends of the institution to remain calm, compassionate and prayerful, and to uphold the values of empathy and solidarity for which the Great Ife is renowned,” the management said.
OAU Investigates Death of 18 – Year – Old Medical Student
