Lagos State University student Otabor Joseph has died from injuries he suffered in an armed robbery attack off campus in the Iba area of Lagos State, days after the violence that left him in hospital. The Department of History and International Studies student, whose matriculation number was 240341269, died on Tuesday, 2 June 2026.
The attack happened on Friday, 29 May 2026, when Joseph and some friends were set upon by armed robbers off campus. The university said its Acting Coordinator, Centre for Information and Public Relations, Olaniyi Jeariogbe, issued a statement on X on Thursday, and that Vice-Chancellor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello had extended condolences to his family and the wider university community.
Lagos State University said it was notified immediately after the attack and that the Acting Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr Abiodun Fatai-Abatan, moved quickly to support the student, escalate the case to the vice-chancellor and stay in contact with medical personnel involved in his treatment. After Joseph died, the university said representatives engaged with his family, officials of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and law enforcement authorities.
The school said it is cooperating with security agencies so the circumstances of the attack can be thoroughly investigated and those responsible brought to justice. That promise lands against a familiar fear around the LASU Ojo–Iba axis, where students have repeatedly reported robbery, phone snatching and night-time attacks along roads used by hostels, bus stops and adjoining communities. Students and residents have long described parts of the area as unsafe after dark, even as the university says security operations are ongoing.
The unanswered question now is not whether Joseph died, but who attacked him and whether the police can make the route safer for the students who still have to use it. Lagos State University said it prayed for the repose of his soul and for comfort for his family.
