Two arrested as UNIBEN student dies ‘while swimming in Edo river’

The Edo state police command has arrested two students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) over the death of Francis Anuide, their colleague.

The trio were said to have gone to swim at Ekosodin river in Benin when Anuide reportedly drowned.

NAN reports that the arrested duo are Samson Kennedy, a 200-level student of Biochemistry, and Wilfred Emmanuel, a 500-level student of Optometry at the institution.

The pair were said to have invited the deceased for a swimming session at the river close to the Ugbowo campus of the university.

Speaking on the development, Chidi Nwabuzor, the command’s spokesperson, said the duo were apprehended to assist the police in investigating the circumstances that led to Anuide’s death.

Nwabuzor said when the case was reported at the Ugbowo police station in Benin, the divisional police officer (DPO) led his men and a team of local divers to search for Anuide.

“Luckily, they were able to recover the body. The case has been transferred to the state criminal investigation department for further investigations,” he said.

“Two persons were arrested because they went together to swim in that river when the ugly incident occurred.

“Arresting them is very important so that we can know what made them leave their hostel and go to that river at that time and what happened right there in the river.”

NAN quoted sources as saying the two students were arrested after blood was discovered on the lips of the deceased.

This, the sources said, raised suspicion among the victim’s family members and relatives who are demanding an autopsy.

“After the deceased got drowned, the duo ran back to the Ekosodin community to seek help from the community and vigilante members but the deceased died before help could come his way,” one of the sources said.