IThe Department of Economics at the Umar Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina, has been thrown into mourning, following the death of a final year student, Zainab Umar, from snake bite.
The university authority, through its spokesperson, Fatima Sanda, confirmed the incident.
However, insisting that Umar died in her residence and not on campus, Sanda informed our correspondent that a formal statement on the incident would be issued today (Tuesday).
She said, “Zainab died on Sunday in her home. She was bitten by a snake on Friday and was treated at the University Health Centre immediately. Her parents came to pick her the following day, which was Saturday. What we heard this morning (Monday) is that she died. The university authority will issue a formal statement on the incident tomorrow (Tuesday).”
Umar, who was a spill-over student in the Economics Department, would have graduated from the institution last academic session. She was said to have died on Sunday night.
Also, a senior lecturer in the department and another student disclosed, on condition of anonymity, that the news of the deceased’s passage was broken to them in the morning through some of her friends who went to visit her at home.
The lecturer said, “It is so sad. Zainab’s class captain, who is now in Minna, Niger State, on national youth service, called me this morning to break the news. I understand she died on Sunday.”