Man found dead in Owo not our student – Ondo polytechnic
Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Clarifies Misreported Student Identity Following Tragic Incident
Owo, Ondo State — Rufus Giwa Polytechnic’s management has issued a statement clarifying that a young man who reportedly died by suicide in Emure-Ile community was not a student of the institution, as previously claimed.
The deceased, identified as Audi Emmanuel, was found hanging in his off-campus residence on Monday. Initial reports incorrectly linked him to the state-owned polytechnic, suggesting he was a Computer Engineering student.
In an official statement released on Thursday, Olumide Olugosi, the institution’s Senior Assistant Registrar for Public Relations and Protocol, stated that there is no record of a student by that name in the school’s database.
The management extended condolences to the family of the deceased but emphasized the importance of correcting misleading information. “The management of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO), expresses sympathy over the reported death of a young man, Audi Emmanuel, in Emure-Ile, who was wrongly identified in some reports as a student of the polytechnic,” the statement read.
A review of academic records revealed no enrollment for anyone bearing the name Audi Emmanuel in the Department of Computer Engineering Technology or any other department, including the Continuing Education Centre. However, the statement indicated that an individual with a similar name had been offered admission previously.
“Further checks indicate that one Audu Emmanuel was offered admission into the polytechnic to study Computer Science (National Diploma) during the 2024/2025 academic session,” the statement noted. This admission, however, was never finalized, as the individual did not complete academic requirements or participate in institutional examinations, thereby not qualifying as an active or registered student.
The management reiterated that linking the deceased to the institution is inaccurate and could create misunderstandings regarding the school’s records and community.
While offering sympathy to the bereaved family, the polytechnic urged the public and media to verify sensitive information before publication, especially in cases involving discrepancies related to identity.
