Despite the recovery of the corpse of Miracle Ekene, a 200-level Chemical Engineering student of the Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, who drowned on Sunday at the Ekoli Creek in Yenagoa, over a N300 bet, the management has remained silent.
TheNigerian Metro gathered that the body was recovered from the river on Monday evening, about a day after he went missing after attempting to swim across the river.
Grieving fellow students at the university organised a candle-lit procession in honour of the student on Monday evening.
The Public Relations Officer of the university, Ms Mercy Ekott, told our correspondent on Monday evening by text message, that she was not authorised to speak on the issue.
The text read, “Sorry but I haven’t been authorised to speak on the matter. Thanks.”
When TheNigerian Metro asked her the identity of the student on Tuesday, she said she did not know either.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Bayelsa State Police Command, Mr Musa Mohammed, confirmed the recovery of the corpse on Tuesday and said investigations were ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death.
Mohammed said: “The matter is the deceased went to the river to bathe along with one other. Unfortunately, the deceased, in the process of bathing, jumped into the river. That was how the incident took place.
“Investigations commence and we advise students, especially young persons; even those who know how to swim and those who do not know how to swim, to be very careful and take precautions, especially within the river environment.”
The deceased was said to have allegedly placed a bet with some people that he could swim across the river, but as he was swimming across, he went under the water and did not surface again.
Our correspondent was informed by a university source that the 200-level Chemical Engineering student made a bet with his coursemates to swim across the river.
“They all raised N300 each for the stake. As he was swimming, he dipped and he has not been seen after that. He is still missing up till now,” TheNigerian Metro recalls.
