UNIPORT closes Olympic-size swimming pool after student drowns

Following the drowning of an undergraduate student of neighbouring Rivers University, Emmanuel Odebunmi, in its Olympic-size swimming pool, the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) on Monday night announced the closing of the swimming pool.

Spokesman for UNIPORT, Sam Kpenu, who confirmed the drowning of the year one student of Marine Engineering at the Rivers State University said the remains of the late student has been deposited at the mortuary of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital UPTH.

He said: “A year one student from the Rivers State University of the Faculty of Marine Engineering, Emmanuel, lost his life at the Olympic swimming pool at the Abuja Campus of UNIPORT.

“He was accompanied by some of his friends, namely Prince and Bright. The corpse has been deposited at the UPTH morgue after the students’ union president of Rivers State University RSU identified him.”

Kpenu said the swimming pool would be “strictly limited” to professional sporting activities until further notice.

It was learnt that the student had, in the company of three of his friends, gone to the pool to swim, and got drowned in the process.

Following the incident, the police visited the scene and arrested two of his friends for questioning.

His corpse was deposited at the UNIPORT Teaching Hospital mortuary, while his friends were detained at the Choba Police Station,” Kpenu stated.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, said the state Commissioner of Police had ordered an investigation into the circumstances that led to the death.

Also, a spokesman for the Rivers State University, Dr Harcourt Whyte, described the incident as unfortunate, adding that the school was making efforts to contact Odebunmi’s parents.

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