By Godwin Otang
The death of Shukrat Olaleye, a student in the Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Calabar (UNICAL) is trailed by controversy.
The student is alleged to have died on October 7th, 2023, after she was administered chloroquine upon suspecting that she was sick with malaria by a local chemist in the varsity campus.
The Nigerian Union of Campus Journalists (NUCJ) University of Calabar chapter has carried out lite finding into the undergraduate’s unexplainable demise.
According to the findings, there is an iota of wrong administration of drugs by the chemist who is said to have been practicing for about 20 years.
Though the root cause of her death is not yet ascertained, there has been a form of blame game among groups.
In the findings, the NUCJ said: “Our team interviewed the Student Union Government (SUG) President, Kichi Ikwo Godsgift, who shed light on the events leading up to the student’s demise. According to him, ‘The student had visited a local chemist and said she had malaria. She insisted on receiving chloroquine rather than artemether, and chloroquine phosphate was administered intravenously. Unfortunately, she collapsed shortly thereafter and attempts were made to revive her, including the application of water. I was informed, and she was immediately transported to the medical center, where she was later confirmed deceased,” the SUG president said.
“When asked about the certainty of the student’s solo visit to the chemist, the SUG president responded, ‘I conducted a thorough investigation and can confirm that she visited the pharmacy unaccompanied. Furthermore, she had her earphones with her.’
“Our team proceeded to the mosque, where we met with the Muslim president and other Muslim students. The Muslim president expressed dissatisfaction with both the SUG executive and the school management, saying, ‘We expected your presence earlier, considering the gravity of the situation. We felt a sense of disregard, particularly as we belong to a minority in this community. We have yet to receive any communication from the school management.’
“Regarding the circumstances surrounding the student’s death, he remarked, ‘It is an extreme form of negligence to permit someone without medical training to administer drug injections. We have learned that this particular pharmacist has been practicing for over 20 years in Malabor, and this has been confirmed by the DPO.’
“An anonymous male student who knew the deceased commented, ‘She appeared to be in good health and even participated in our evening prayer. It was less than 30 minutes after she left for Malabor that we received news of her collapse. It seems suspicious, and it was only at the mortuary that we were informed she was ill.’
“The Muslim female president added: ‘She prayed with us around 7 PM that night, and I was with her personally before the incident occurred. She seemed perfectly fine.’
“When asked about the nature of her relationship with the deceased and whether she confided in her about her health, she averred: ‘If she were unwell, she would have shared it with all of us present here. We are very open with each other.’
“Contrary to some reports, an anonymous student confirmed that the deceased student resided in the mosque and not in a hostel. The SUG president clarified that the vice-chancellor was unaware of the incident but would be promptly informed. However, the dean and other administrative bodies are already aware and have initiated an investigation.
“Our team visited the chemist shop and noted that it was already closed. A neighbor informed us that the pharmacy had been burglarized the previous night, with items such as a television, money, and drugs allegedly stolen. These claims, however, remain unverified.
“As of the time of this report, the chemist is in police custody, and further investigations are underway. We however observed that her parents are yet to arrive and confirm the incident.”
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