Tragedy struck in Ilara-Mokin, Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, as a middle-aged woman, Oluwasola Adebayo, reportedly died after collapsing near a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) centre.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, causing panic among residents and candidates in the area. Eyewitnesses said the woman began to feel unwell shortly after arriving at the examination venue with her child before suddenly slumping.
She was said to have been attended to immediately, but efforts to revive her proved unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
At the time of the incident, her child was inside the examination hall writing the UTME and was reportedly unaware of the development.
The sudden death drew a crowd of shocked onlookers, with many describing the situation as heartbreaking as the news spread across the community.
The cause of her death has yet to be officially determined.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said authorities were informed and responded accordingly.
He noted that the deceased’s family had been contacted, adding that her remains were released to a relative, Apapa Olamilekan, identified as an officer of the Nigeria Legion in Akure.
The incident comes amid the ongoing nationwide UTME exercise, which began on April 16 and is expected to end on April 22. More than 2.2 million candidates are participating in the examination across 966 accredited Computer-Based Test centres under security supervision, with operations reported to be largely smooth despite minor disruptions in some locations.
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