UNIZIK Graduate Dies Escaping Prank Tricycle Robbery
Ifunanya Miracle, also known as Bliss, a recent graduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, tragically died while trying to escape a staged robbery prank by a fellow student on the university premises in Awka, Anambra State.
Ifunanya, who had just graduated from the Department of Quantity Surveying, was in a tricycle with her friend Peace, a student from the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, when they encountered the prank “robber” in the vehicle.
In their attempt to flee, both jumped out of the tricycle. Unfortunately, Ifunanya struck her head on the pavement, leading to her untimely death. Peace sustained injuries and was taken to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital for treatment.
While studying at the university, Ifunanya started a Point-of-Sale (POS) business on the school premises, which she continued to run even after her graduation.
She was said to have closed her business for the day on Sunday, June 9, 2024, and boarded a tricycle along with Peace.
During the trip, a passenger who sat beside them allegedly attempted to rob them of their valuables.
To escape the robbery, the two students jumped out of the moving tricycle.
A student of the school who chose not to be named said: “Miracle just graduated from the university and does a Point-of-Sale operation in the school. The incident happened around 7 pm on June 9, 2024. She does her PoS business at the front of my residence.
“She usually packed her business stuff under the staircase in our compound and the stuff is still there. She packed it and put it back there in the evening. But all of a sudden, we just heard that she was dead.
“We were like how; she still dropped her stuff under the staircase of our compound on Monday. From what we gathered, she was on a moving tricycle with her friend when a fellow passenger, ordered them to give him their phones.
“While trying to escape, Miracle jumped out of the tricycle and hit her head on the road and by the time she was rushed to the hospital, she had died. Her friend, who also jumped out of the tricycle sustained injuries and she is still in hospital.”
Another student said the man, who ordered the victims to surrender their property, later claimed that he was pranking them, adding that unconfirmed reports indicated that the man had reported himself to the police.
The student said, “We heard the guy has reported himself at the police station and claimed it was a prank. How can he be pranking someone on a moving tricycle? After the incident, we have not heard anything. This lady (Miracle) just died because of the carelessness of some people who claimed to be pranksters.
“It could be that he wanted to rob and when he saw the outcome of his action, he changed the argument to pranking because of what happened. The university has not said anything about the case. The fact that the school has not addressed it is a concern. The girl just did her convocation.”
The spokesperson for the school, Dr Emmanuel Ojukwu confirmed the case and noted that the prankster, a final-year student of the school, would face disciplinary measures after Miracle had been buried.
He said, “The university is fully aware of the incident. It was not a robbery but a very expensive prank. The students were told to bring their phones but they didn’t know it was a prank. So, they jumped, one died and one survived.
“The families of the victims and that of the final-year student who pranked the victims have held a meeting with us and it was established that it was a prank.
“The families have reached some agreement and we want the process of the burial to take place before the student that pranked them will face disciplinary measures.
“It was an unfortunate incident; the school regrets it, the student who pranked them regrets it and the family of the concerned student will take responsibility for the funeral of the dead victim and the hospital bill of the other student.
We use this opportunity to warn students to avoid expensive pranks that lead to death, the person will face the music.”
Friends have gone on Facebook to mourn the deceased.
