LAUTECH professor slumps, dies during prayer

A professor of industrial and environmental chemistry at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Abass Olajire, slumped and died on Friday.

The 59-year-old collapsed while observing Juma’at prayer. Olajire will be buried in Ibadan on Saturday, family sources said.

LAUTECH spokesman Lekan Fadeyi confirmed the professor’s death in a statement which read, “The University Management is devastated at the sudden death of Abass Abiola Olajire, a renowned researcher and erudite Professor of Industrial/Environmental Chemistry, whose research interest was in Petroleum Chemistry and Green synthesis of Nanoparticles/Application.

“Acting Vice-Chancellor, LAUTECH, Professor Mojeed Olaide Liasu, who became perplexed at the receipt of the sad news, said Professor Abass was a shining star in the institution, and described his passage as a big blow.”

He said the acting vice-chancellor prayed for the repose of the late scholar’s soul.

Olajire was recently listed among the top scholars in the world, according to a ranking released by Elsevier B. V (Netherlands) and a team of researchers led by Prof. John Loannidis from Stanford University, United States.

He was ranked 128th of 66,925 of the top world scientists in the world in March 2021.