Police arrest 2 UNIBEN students in connection with drowning of colleague

Story from Maimunat MOHAMMAD

Two students from the University of Benin (UNIBEN) have been arrested by the Edo Police Command following the tragic death of their friend, Francis Anuide, who drowned in the Ekosodin River in Benin during a swimming outing.

The arrested students have been identified as Samson Kennedy, a 200-level student of Biochemistry, and Wilfred Emmanuel, a 500-level student of Optometry.

According to reports, the deceased was invited by his two friends to swim in the river near the Ugbowo campus of the University, where the unfortunate incident occurred.

SP Chidi Nwabuzor, the Public Relations Officer of the Edo Police Command, confirmed the arrest and stated that the duo was taken into custody to assist with the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death.

After the incident was reported at the Ugbowo Police Station in Benin, the Divisional Police Officer and his team, accompanied by local divers, went to the scene to recover the body.

“Fortunately, they were able to retrieve the body. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation,” explained Mr. Nwabuzor.

He emphasized the importance of apprehending the two individuals involved to ascertain the reasons behind their departure from the hostel to the river at that particular time, as well as the events leading to the tragedy.

Sources revealed that suspicion arose among the victim’s family members and relatives due to the discovery of blood on the deceased’s lips and peeled skin around his neck area. They are now demanding an autopsy to shed light on the incident.

“After the victim drowned, the two students rushed back to the Ekosodin community seeking help from local residents and vigilante members. However, unfortunately, the victim passed away before assistance could reach him,” said one of the sources.

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