A final-year student at Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, located in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, named John Akpan, collapsed and passed away during a Karate training session.
A source familiar with the Polytechnic community informed Punch that the student, enrolled in the Higher National Diploma programme in the Media Studies department, departed from the off-campus students’ lodge to attend Karate training on Saturday, April 12, 2025.
The source reported that upon arriving at the training ground, he suddenly fainted and was hurriedly taken to a private hospital in Ikot Ekpene, which then referred him to General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene.
The president of the Journalism and Media Studies Students Association, Mr. Nsoefen Mark Akpan, who was present during the incident, stated that the doctor at the hospital, after a thorough examination, declared the student dead on arrival.
Akpan noted that some students, unwilling to accept the doctor’s pronouncement, brought the deceased to a church for prayers, but the church declined to intervene.
A spiritualist then volunteered to attempt reviving the student but was unsuccessful, later stating that the deceased had already been admitted into the spirit world.
“At this point, we returned the corpse to the mortuary, but students were still waiting to see if the colleague was d3ad,” he said.
Akpan mentioned that the Head of the Department, Dr. Inemesit Umore, visited the hospital, spoke to the students, and they subsequently left, while the body was placed in the mortuary after notifying the parents.
Akpan also shared that the young man had taken exams the previous Thursday and showed no indications of being unwell.
He added that the deceased served as the leader of the karate training group and participated in sessions every Saturday morning.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli