A 200-level student of the Federal University of Otuoke identified as Bright Akhere, 21 years, was reportedly found dead after his lifeless body floated in a swimming pool on Tuesday night at Renew Empire Hotel in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Details of the incident are still sketchy as at the time of filing this report, however, it was gathered that the Mathematics and Statistics Education student from Isha in Delta State came alone to swim on Monday, April 24, 2023 but was never seen or heard from again until on Tuesday around 7pm when his body floated on the pool.
According to a final year student of the institution who confirmed the sad incident to LEADERSHIP under anonymity, the deceased was bleeding from his mouth, nose and ears with initiation marks on his body when he was recovered.
He said, “According to Renew Empire Hotel management, the guy came to swim since day before yesterday (Monday) then nobody heard from him again since that day till yesterday when the corpse floated on top the swimming pool.
“Still at that, questions are been asked. Anybody that got drowned, the person cannot be bleeding because the guy was bleeding from his mouth, his nose and his ears and as of that yesterday they brought him out from the swimming pool, he was still bleeding. But according to the hotel management, they are saying that the guy drowned in their swimming pool.
“As at that yesterday, police officers from Kolo Police station came and picked the corpse and army sealed up the place. Even up till now, the place is still sealed and army officers are surrounding the place. We have not really gotten the main gist of the matter. We are still waiting for them to conclude on what actually happened to the boy.”
When contacted on phone, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mercy Ekott said it was true that a student from the institution drowned, adding that it was not cult related but a social activity where the boy went to swim with his friends and got drowned.
Meanwhile, the authorities of the Bayelsa Police Command said it has commenced investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the suspected drowning of the student.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Asinim Buswat on Wednesday, adding that deceased was with his friends at the swimming pool on Monday evening, 24th April and the friends left the pool at about 1700 hours.
He said, “On 25th April 2023, at about 2000 hours the Command got a report that a corpse was found floating in a swimming pool at a popular event Center at Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area.
“A team of operatives visited the scene and evacuated the corpse to the mortuary for autopsy.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the deceased Bright Akhere 21 years, a student from the Department of Mathematics in the Federal University Otuoke, was with his friends at the swimming pool the previous evening, 24th April and the friends left the pool at about 1700 hours.
Police are on the trail of the friends who are now at large.
“Investigation is ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the suspected drowning of the student.”
