Police Arrest Two UNIBEN Students Over Alleged Drowning Colleague

BENIN CITY – THE police in Edo State have confirmed the arrest of two students of the University of Benin identified as Samson Kennedy, a 200 level student of Biochemistry and Wilfred Emmanuel, a 500 level student of Optometry over alleged complicity in the death of 23 years old Francis Aniude, a final year student of the Department of Chemistry at Ekosodin River where he allegedly drowned.

The two students were were said to be neighbours of Aniude and they allegedly invited the late Aniude to the Ekosodin River for sight seeing on the 29th of June 2023 where he allegedly drowned.

The Edo State Police Command SP Chidi Nwabuzor said the two students were arrested to help the police in investigating the circumstances behind the death.

According to him, “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 said.

However, an account from a student of the Department of Chemistry,who does not want his name in print said alleged that the two students remain the prime suspects. He said “Francis was drowned in the Ekosodin River, located in an off-campus community near the school on 29th of June and was declared missing, but his body was recovered by local divers in the community on Saturday July 1.

“The discovery of blood on his lips and peeled skin around his neck region raised suspicion amongst family members and relatives who are demanding for an autopsy.”