By: Press Council
In the early hours of Saturday, 4th of May, 2024, rumours of the demise of an occupant of Unity Hall of Residence, who was reported to have suffered a snake bite earlier that morning, was being circulated by unknown individuals.
It got to the Press Council’s notice that the supposed student was bitten by a snake while on his way to fetch water, somewhere outside the premises of Unity Hostel on that Saturday morning. A team of investigators from the Press Council immediately made way to Unity Hall of Residence, to confirm the authenticity of the news.
On getting to the Hostel, the Hall Chairman; Com. Olalere Nathaniel, expressed his dismay at how such fake news was being spread without verification. “There is no such thing as the demise of a Unity Hall occupant. I have received so many phone calls this morning, even from the SUG President about this matter, which I debunked the claims, and I am surprised at how anyone would come up with such”, he said.
The team from Press Council further inquired if there was any case of snake bite, which he confirmed to be true, but assured that it was not as brutal to have led to death. He thereby fetched the snake bite victim, who had just returned to the Hostel from the school’s health centre the day before, to affirm his claims.
Adetunji Adeogo Paul, an ND 2 student of the Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and also an occupant of Unity Hostel, in a brief interview with Press Council, relayed the incident;
“It all happened around 1:00 AM on Tuesday, 30th April, 2024. It was hot in my room in the midnight and so I decided to sit outside my room for some fresh air, shortly after, I felt something crawling over my left foot, as I tried to shove it off, it bit me and rattled away. I shone my torchlight to find out it was a snake. I immediately tied up the leg as first aid, then in the morning, I was taken to the school’s health centre. I was given the necessary treatment and by the next day, I was fully well again, but the doctor adviced that I remain under medical supervision for a few days. On Friday, I returned to the Hostel fully well. I was given some drugs which I have been using as prescribed and up until this moment, I do not feel any negative symptoms in my body.”
While still gathering more information about the rumour, the Hall Chairman, Com. Nathaniel received a call from a Hall Chairperson from one of the other Hostels on campus that; the rumour stemmed from two students playing death pranks on eachother on their WhatsApp status feed, misleading their colleagues who took turns in spreading the fake news. In the process of that, the fake news was baselessly linked to Adetunji Paul’s snake bite incidence.
The Unity Hostel Hall Chairman, Com. Nathaniel, expressed his disappointment at the information, condemned the act of the alleged pranksters and promised to get more information on their identities, and to make sure they are reported and punished by the school management.
He further complained about the bushy state of the Hostel premises and environs, as a major cause of the snake bite attacks that have been experienced overtime. He remarked that; students no longer feel safe in their hostels, using the opportunity to call out to the school management to prioritise the wellbeing of the students, by taking action on weeding the hostels and even the school premises at large.
After proper scrutiny and intense investigation by Press Council, the rumour of the demise of a supposed Unity Hostel occupant is hereby proven to be untrue. Students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan are advised to avoid engaging in dangerous pranks, and to always desist from broadcasting unverified news, as such could put the entire institution in pandemonium. Such news are also capable of denting the school’s reputation in the public eyes.
Students should be good ambassadors of the institution, not the other way round.
