A final year student of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, Olagundoye Oladotun, reportedly drowned in a river at Igbekebo in Ese Odo local government area of the state.
The student body was pulled out of water after four days of intensive search for his body in the river.
According to a source, the HND 2 student of the state Polytechnic who was in Igbekebo to attend the final burial ceremony of one of his friends, identified as Gboyega, went to the river with some other friends to swim.
He explained that the deceased dived into the river after boasting over his swimming skills but was unable to come out alive while his friends raised alarm over his disappear in the river.
He said “Oladotun and some of his friends visited the river and immediately they got to the river, he pulled off his clothes and jumped into the river and after some time he could not come up again.”
He however said a search team was organised but they could not find the corpse of the young boy but said the corpse of deceased was found by the marine police in the town four days after the incident.
They incident was reported at the police station in the town and the host, Gboyega and three others were arrested and detained at the Special Investigative Bureau of the Ondo State Police Command for interrogation.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state command, Femi Joseph, described the incident as unfortunate but said the command had commenced investigation on the matter.
He said, “The report we have is that the deceased followed his friend to a jetty in the town and he put off his clothes and jumped into the river.
“He told his friend that he was a good swimmer. But some hours after he dived into the river, he did not come up. Later his lifeless body floated in the river after four days of searching for him.
“His friends are with us helping, us in our investigation and autopsy would be conduct on the corpse.”
Joseph however said the police from the command have not suspect any foul play in the death of the polytechnic student but said investigation is still ongoing.
The remains of the deceased was said to have been deposited at the Ondo State Government Hospital, Ode Irele.