A fresh graduate of the Department of Quantity Surveying, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Ifunanya Miracle, aka Bliss, has died during a robbery prank by an undergraduate of the school, The PUNCH is reporting.
According to the newspaper, the management of the university has confirmed the death and arrest of the prankster.
The incident, said to have occurred on June 9, 2024, also led to a friend of Miracle, simply identified as Peace, sustaining injuries.
Peace was reported to be a student in the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry.
While both of them were rushed to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital for treatment, Miracle did not make it.
The PUNCH said it gathered that Miracle, during her studies, engaged in a Point-of-Sale business on the premises of the school.
She was said to have closed for the day on June 9, 2024 and boarded a tricycle along with Peace when a passenger, who sat beside them, allegedly attempted to rob them of their valuables.
The duo were reported to have jumped out of the tricycle to escape being robbed.
A student told The PUNCH: “Miracle just graduated from the university and does a Point-of-Sale operation in the school.
“The incident happened around 7pm on June 9, 2024.
“She does her PoS business at the front of my residence.
“She usually packed her business stuff under the staircase in our compound and the stuff is still there.
“She packed it and put it back there in the evening.
“But all of a sudden, we just heard that she was dead.
“We were like: ‘How?’
“She still dropped her stuff under the staircase of our compound on Monday.
“From what we gathered, she was on a moving tricycle with her friend when a fellow passenger ordered them to give him their phones.
“While trying to escape, Miracle jumped out of the tricycle and hit her head on the road and by the time she was rushed to the hospital, she had died.
“Her friend, who also jumped out of the tricycle sustained injuries and she is still in hospital.”
Another student said the man, who ordered the victims to surrender their property, later claimed that he was pranking them, adding that unconfirmed reports indicated that the man had reported himself to the police.
The student said: “We heard the guy has reported himself at the police station and claimed it was a prank.
“How can he be pranking someone on a moving tricycle?
“After the incident, we have not heard anything.
“This lady (Miracle) just died because of the carelessness of some people who claimed to be pranksters.
“It could be that he wanted to rob and when he saw the outcome of his action, he changed the argument to pranking because of what happened.
“The university has not said anything about the case.
Also Read:
- I now know why Gov. Uba has been praising Tinubu — El-Rufai
- Surviving abroad marriage: My observations, by Tunde Asaju
- Why I dumped PDP – Nwoko; We won’t miss him — Commissioner
- Anambra: Three siblings killed, bodies dumped in deep freezer
- Telecom Tariff Hike: NLC suspends planned nationwide protest
“The fact that the school has not addressed it is a concern.
“The girl just did her convocation.”
The spokesperson for the school, Dr Emmanuel Ojukwu, when contacted for a reaction, confirmed the incident.
The case was adjourned until July 10, 2024, for further hearing.
The spokesperson for the school, Dr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, told The PUNCH on Monday: “The university is fully aware of the incident.
“It was not a robbery but a very expensive prank.
“The students were told to bring their phones but they didn’t know it was a prank.
“So, they jumped, one died and one survived.
“The families of the victims and that of the final-year student who pranked the victims have held a meeting with us and it was established that it was a prank.
“The families have reached some agreement and we want the process of the burial to take place before the student that pranked them will face disciplinary measures.
“It was an unfortunate incident; the school regrets it, the student who pranked them regrets it and the family of the concerned student will take responsibility for the funeral of the dead victim and the hospital bill of the other student.
“We use this opportunity to warn students to avoid expensive pranks that lead to death, the person will face the music.”
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
