By Parrot Newspaper How University Student Electrocuted While Retrieving Ball in Osun
Tragedy struck in Moro, Osun State, on Saturday evening as a student of Obafemi Awolowo University’s Centre for Distance Learning (CDL), Ile-Ife, lost his life in a freak electrocution accident while trying to retrieve a football.
Eyewitnesses told Parrot Newspaper that the incident unfolded at a private hostel along the bustling Moro–Ife Road, where the student had joined friends for a casual game. During play, the ball flew over the fence into an adjacent compound, prompting the young man to climb over to fetch it.
Having successfully retrieved the ball and tossed it back to his teammates, the student tragically came into contact with a high-tension cable while attempting to scale the fence back to safety. The exposed wire, reportedly damaged and dangling dangerously low after a heavy rainstorm the previous day, became a fatal trap.
“It was so sudden,” a local resident recounted under anonymity. “As he climbed, his hand brushed the bare wire, and he was electrocuted instantly.”
Alarmed by his prolonged absence, his friends hurried to the scene. With quick thinking, they used a wooden stick to separate him from the live cable and rushed him to a private hospital in Ipetumodu. Sadly, it was too late.
“He was pronounced dead on arrival,” another witness confirmed. “They tried another hospital too, but the outcome remained the same.”
Confirming the heartbreaking incident, the university’s spokesperson, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju, expressed deep sorrow over the loss, describing it as a devastating blow to the CDL community.
“It’s a deeply unfortunate event. He had only just joined the group to play and, following their agreed rules, went to retrieve the ball. After throwing it back, he unknowingly leaned against a live wire while climbing out,” Olanrewaju explained.
“Though his friends acted swiftly to help, the electrocution had already claimed his life,” he added, his voice heavy with emotion.
The university’s CDL Director, Professor Femi Koya, has since contacted the bereaved family to personally convey the institution’s condolences and offer support during this painful time.
At the time of this report, the identity of the deceased student was being withheld to allow for proper communication with his family and to manage the sensitive aftermath of the tragedy.
This unfortunate incident casts a grim spotlight on the dangers of exposed electrical wires, especially in residential areas, and raises urgent concerns about the safety of student accommodations around university communities.