RIP: Matthew Odusami, final year UNILAG undergraduate dies in hostel while playing football

A 500-level undergraduate of the University of Lagos, Odusami Matthew, has died after slumping at the Biobaku Hostel.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Matthew, a student at the Estate Management Department, was playing football with some of his friends on Friday when he slumped.

He was reportedly rushed to the school's medical centre where he was confirmed dead on arrival.

Journalists were told that the remains of the student had been deposited at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba.

When our correspondent visited the hostel on Monday, one of the residents confirmed that the incident happened around 4pm.

He said, "He stayed in this hostel. Around 4pm, he decided to play football with some of his friends. He was not tackled neither was he with the ball when he collapsed.

"Nobody understood what went wrong with him. He was rushed to the medical centre, but he died on the way. It's really a shock to us."

A colleague of the victim, who spoke to our correspondent at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, said Matthew cried that his head was stiff before he died.

"Actually, he had stopped playing. He took time off to rest and sat on the sideline. Suddenly, he started crying that his head was stiff and he could not feel anything again. He slumped shortly after and died," the colleague, who did not want to be named, said.

A man, who claimed to be Matthew's close friend, said he spoke with him on Friday, adding that he never had any premonition that he would die suddenly.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the friend said, "He was a nice guy. He was also hard working. He had a strong second class upper grade. I still cannot believe he's gone. I am grieving and don't want to say more than that."

However, the Deputy Registrar and Head of Information Unit, University of Lagos, Mr. Toyin Adebule, said Matthew was playing football at the university's sports centre, where he slumped and was rushed to the medical centre.

He said, "A student was brought from the sports centre to the medical centre. When he got there, he did not have any sign of life. The director of health centre and other workers there tried to resuscitate him to no avail. He was dead.

"The dean of students' affairs and other representatives of the school were there. We have reached the family and broken the news to them. Our prayers are with them that God will give them the fortitude to bear the loss."