A student of the National Open University of Nigeria, Michael Coker, died after he suddenly collapsed during an examination at the institution’s Victoria Island study centre in Lagos last Tuesday.
PUNCH Metro gathered from students and eyewitnesses that Coker reportedly lay unattended for over 15 minutes, gasping for breath, while fellow students were allegedly prevented from assisting him.
A student, identified simply as Bukola, told our correspondent during a visit to the campus on Tuesday that a female senior lecturer allegedly stopped students from attending to Coker during the incident.
Bukola said, “It happened around 11am on Tuesday, shortly after we entered the hall for the examination. It wasn’t a crowded period; the corridors and staircases were free.
“Coker was standing, with another student behind him. He suddenly collapsed, and the student behind him held him and placed him on the floor.”
She alleged that the female invigilator from an adjacent hall entered and ordered students to return to their seats.
“She started chasing everyone away to write their exams, even though the student was on the floor, gasping. Someone told her that a student had collapsed, and she replied in Yoruba, ‘E fi sílè, ó máa dìde,’ meaning ‘Leave him; he will get up.’”
According to Bukola, students became worried and began asking questions about Coker’s condition.
“We asked if he had epilepsy, and they said no. Another person asked if he was convulsing. Someone even suggested putting a spoon in his mouth.
“All this while, he was still on the floor, jerking and gasping for life, but she kept chasing us away,” she added.
Bukola further claimed that it took several minutes for help to arrive.
“This went on for more than four minutes. It was only when his breathing became unstable that one of the invigilators said they had called a nurse. Even placing him on a chair took another five minutes. By then, he was already gasping badly.
“The nurse eventually came and administered first aid before he was taken downstairs through the elevator. We were told to continue with our exams. It was only after we finished that we were informed that Coker had died.”
A member of staff, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said sudden medical emergencies were not uncommon during examinations.
The source said, “People come with different health conditions. Some are asthmatic or have underlying medical issues that even doctors may not be aware of.
“We have seen cases where students slump and recover within seconds. Just a day before this incident, a student collapsed during an exam, and his colleague later disclosed that he was under the influence of a hard drug.
“Some students don’t know their health status. Some have seizures, and when they get here, they collapse suddenly.”
However, another student and class representative of the deceased, identified only as Prince Preskit, gave a slightly different account, suggesting there was no deliberate delay.
“He was about to log into the system for the exam when he collapsed. I think the invigilator only wanted people to give him space,” Preskit said.
“It was when they realised that something was seriously wrong that he was taken downstairs and rushed to the hospital before his eventual death.”
He added that tensions rose afterwards.
“Students started shouting that it was the woman who did not allow them to take him to the hospital on time. I wasn’t inside the hall when it happened, but I heard he fainted and there was confusion,” he said.
Preskit further disclosed that Coker was taken to Bonny Camp Hospital.
“He was taken there, but I heard he was rejected and later died on the way to another hospital. It was an accident. These things happen suddenly; it’s not something people are always prepared for,” he said.
However, when PUNCH Metro visited Bonny Camp Hospital, the management denied rejecting the deceased.
“The patient was not rejected,” a hospital official said. “He was referred to another facility where oxygen would be available.”
A student who is related to the deceased confirmed the incident but declined to provide details.
“The family is still mourning. I can’t disclose anything now without their consent,” the source said.
Meanwhile, efforts to get an official response from the institution proved abortive, as the director of the study centre declined to comment.
An official who did not want to be mentioned because he was not authorised to speak for the varsity told our correspondent to return in January.
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