The Edo State Police Command has arrested two University of Benin students, Samson Kennedy, a 200-level Biochemistry student, and Wilfred Emmanuel, a 500-level Optometry student, in connection with the drowning of their colleague, Francis Anuide, a 23-year-old final-year Chemistry student at the same university.
The suspects were accused of accompanying Aniude to the Ekosodin River, which is located in an off-campus settlement near the school, where he allegedly drowned last Thursday.
On Saturday, July 1, local divers in the village retrieved the victim’s body.
The discovery of blood on the victim’s lips and peeling flesh around the victim’s neck region sparked suspicion among family members and relatives, who wanted an autopsy.
Meanwhile, the remains of the undergraduate have been deposited at the morgue for autopsy, while the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).
Edo State Police Publlic Relations Officer SP Chidi Nwabuzor, said the suspects were arrested to help the police in investigating the circumstances behind the death.
“The case has been reported long ago at the Ugbowo Police Station. Eventually, the Divisional Police Officer and his men led a team of local divers to the scene of the incident. Luckily enough, they were able to recover the body.
“The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigations.
“Two persons were arrested, the reason being that they went together to go and swim in that river when the ugly incident occured. Arresting them is very very important, so that we can know what made them leave their hostel and went to that river at that point of time and what happened right there in the river”, he added.