After the tragic death of final-year student Chisom Nwankwo, the management of Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, has issued a stern warning to students regarding the excessive use of motorcycles for transportation.

Nwankwo lost her life when the commercial motorcyclist transporting her lost control at the scene of another accident on Tuesday.

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The university’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, expressed concern over the casual approach of motorcyclists, commonly known as Okada riders.

Olanrewaju condemned the lackadaisical attitude of Okada riders and pointed out that passengers on commercial bikes often neglected their safety by engaging in phone conversations.

He revealed that the bike rider responsible for the tragic incident was careless, losing concentration while observing another minor accident.

The bike was subsequently hit from the rear by a bus.

“We need to warn Okada riders because they have something to hold on to, but the passengers do not have anything to hold on to.

That’s why the majority of the victims of Okada accidents are the passengers. So, those who are passengers on bikes should not be chatting with their phones.

You will see some boys and girls on Okada; they will be using their phones to chat and would not know what is happening in the front. If anything happens, it will hit them more.

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If anything happens on Okada, there is no way someone pressing a phone would have prepared themselves.

People should just be mindful of where they are going,” he emphasized.

While expressing condolences and praying for the Nwankwo family’s strength to bear the loss, Olanrewaju confirmed that the university had been in contact with the deceased student’s family.