By Parrot Newspaper How Final Year Akwa Poly Student Dies During Karate Training
By Ricky Awodi, for Parrot Newspaper
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, what was meant to be a routine Karate training session ended in tragedy as John a final year student of Journalism and Media Studies at Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, slumped and died on Saturday.
John, well-known and affectionately called by his first name on campus, had left his off-campus lodge brimming with energy, unaware it would be his last walk to the training ground. Eyewitnesses say barely had he stepped onto the Karate pitch when he suddenly collapsed.
Fellow students rushed him to a nearby private hospital in a desperate bid to save his life, but the case was too grave. He was referred to the Ikot Ekpene General Hospital, where, after medical examination, doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.
However, hope — however slim — refused to die. The president of the Journalism and Media Studies Students Association (JAMSSA), Mr. Nsoefen Akpan, recounted the agonising moments of disbelief that followed.
“Even after the doctor’s verdict, we couldn’t accept it. We took him to church, believing prayers could bring him back,” Akpan explained, his voice heavy with sorrow. “There, he was also rejected. Then, another spiritualist stepped in, claiming he could revive him. But after his efforts failed, he said John had already crossed into the spirit world.”
With no more hope left, the students finally made the painful decision to take John’s remains to the mortuary.
The sudden death of the young journalist-in-training has left the campus community reeling, with many struggling to come to terms with the shocking loss. Tributes have been pouring in from classmates and lecturers alike, remembering John as a passionate student with a bright future ahead of him.
As investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking incident, the Akwa Poly community mourns one of its own — gone too soon, but not forgotten.