The Federal University Lokoja (FUL) community is reeling from the tragic death of Dr. Emmanuel-Olownubi Oluwakemi Mercy, a beloved lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts.
The 45-year-old academic, affectionately known as the “mother of theatre arts,” was crushed to death by a trailer along the notorious Crusher stretch on Felele Road on Tuesday afternoon.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as the out-of-control articulated vehicle veered off course, slamming into Dr. Mercy while she navigated the busy highway near the university’s permanent site.
Emergency responders rushed her to the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lokoja, but she succumbed to her injuries en route.
The incident, occurring mere days after FUL’s vibrant 9th Convocation Ceremony on October 18 where graduates donned caps and gowns amid cheers has cast a pall over what was a milestone event for the institution.
“The entire school community has been thrown into mourning after the tragic death of lecturer popularly known as the mother of theatre arts,” a university spokesperson said in a statement, capturing the profound grief rippling through faculty, students, and alumni.
Over the past year, at least three similar accidents have claimed lives, including a February 2025 tragedy that killed five FUL students when a palm oil-laden trailer collided with their shuttle bus, sparking campus-wide protests and an indefinite shutdown. “The series of deaths reoccurring on this major road has been of great concern to students and citizens at large,” the spokesperson added, echoing widespread frustration.
Despite a Kogi State Government ban on daytime trailer operations along the route imposed after the student fatalities to curb reckless trucking “even though the Kogi State Government had ruled a ban of trailers plying the road during the day which seems to receive little or no compliance,” compliance remains spotty, with overloaded rigs flouting restrictions amid lax enforcement.
Road safety advocates, including the Student Union Government, renewed calls for federal intervention, such as speed bumps, dedicated pedestrian lanes, and stricter patrols.