4 suspected fraudsters die of drug overdose in Bayelsa

Four suspected internet fraudsters have been confirmed dead as a result of illicit drug overdose along the Nasco Egei road in the Biogbolo community of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital.

According to a Police report, they were five in a house they rented and having a party when they agreed to take two pills of the illicit drug each but after ingesting the pill four out of the five boys died of an overdose, while one luckily survived because he ingested only one of the pills.

Tribune Online further learnt that the incident which happened at about 12 midnight on Friday, occurred while they were celebrating a financial breakthrough by one of the deceased boys.

The deceased boys identified as 19-year-old Favour Ekezie, 18-year-old Favour Okorie, 25-year-old Waripamo Bestman Ejele and 21-year-old Richie Mike Prezi have since been deposited at a morgue in Yenagoa.

One Melvin, who claimed to be a friend to one of the deceased boys, told Nigerian Tribune that the family of Favour who hails from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area are trying to secure the release of his corpse for an autopsy because they believe that the deceased boys were poisoned.

Explaining further Melvin said that “we are here at Ekeki Police Station in the company of Favour’s father to secure the release of the corpse for autopsy and burial. But it is proving difficult after swearing to an Affidavit.

“We gathered that they ate food they ordered which was delivered by a logistics motorbike and they died. One of them who was in the toilet however survived because he did not eat from the meal.”

Another friend of the deceased boys, who pleaded anonymity, claimed that “the deceased was much awake when we forced the security man to open the gate to their residence.

“Nelson (one of the deceased) was sitting on the chair but his head was on the ground with his vomit. Richie (another deceased) has his computer tab on in his hand while Yazz showed signs that he was struggling. It clearly showed that they were poisoned.”

Contacted on the development, the State Commissioner of Police, Benjamin Okolo, confirmed the death of the four youths and attributed the death to drug overdose, “They died of a drug overdose. It is quite unfortunate that they administered the drug themselves. They were five and the one that survived told us that they took two pills each and that he took one. This was why they died.”

The Police Commissioner however assured newsmen that if the friends and family of the deceased insisted that the four boys were poisoned, “the police will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death.”

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