A somber mood has taken over the Akwa Ibom Polytechnic (AkwaPoly) community in Ikot Osurua, located in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, following the sudden death of a final-year student.
The tragedy struck the Department of Journalism and Media Studies over the weekend when one of their Higher National Diploma (HND) students, identified simply as John, collapsed and died instantly during a routine karate training session.
John, who had reportedly been in good spirits and appeared healthy while writing an exam on Thursday, left his student lodge on Saturday morning for karate practice but never returned.
A close friend, who chose to remain anonymous, recounted that “as soon as he stepped onto the pitch, he collapsed. We rushed him to a nearby private hospital in Ikot Ekpene, but he was turned away and referred to the General Hospital.”
Mr. Nsoefen Mark Akpan, President of the Journalism and Media Studies Students Association (JAMSSA), confirmed that doctors at the General Hospital declared John dead on arrival. Despite the pronouncement, some students still held out hope.
“We couldn’t accept the news. We took him to a church for prayers, hoping for a miracle, but he wasn’t revived,” Akpan said.
He added that a spiritualist also attempted to bring John back to life but claimed the young man had already “entered the spirit world.” Eventually, the body was returned to the mortuary, although many students remained in disbelief.
Dr. Inemesit Umoren, Head of the Journalism and Media Studies Department, later addressed the grieving students at the hospital. John’s parents have since been informed of the heartbreaking incident.
“This was someone who showed no signs of illness. He even led the karate training sessions every Saturday. None of us could have imagined he would pass so suddenly,” Akpan added, reflecting the shock and sadness shared across the campus.