By Uzoma Akobundu
The police in Lagos have arrested and detained two managers of Excellence Hotel, Ogba, Lagos in connection with the drowning of a 17 year old boy at the weekend in their swimming pool.
The incident occurred on Saturday, August 24 when the victim (name withheld) was said to have gone to the pool section of the hotel to swim alongside others.
Sources said the boy whose parents are registered members of some fitness exercises at the hotel had come to the place on the fateful day with their wards, including the deceased.
The boy was said to have gone to swim while the parents went to do other forms of exercise.
It was gathered from police sources that no sooner had the boy entered the shallow section of the pool than he was thought to be swimming like the others only to be found beneath the water.
It was learnt that an alarm was raised that attracted the parents and other persons at the pool section and the boy was brought out and rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.
Armadanews.com learnt that the police were involved by the parents who claim that the instructors may not have been available to oversee the swimming activities of the boy and other pool users at the time.
The police have since arrested two persons, a man and a woman.
The man, is believed to be the instructor while the woman is the manager of the place.
The police have said they are still interrogating them and that bail may not be immediate because the case involves a loss of life. “Bail for them may not be the issue now because this is a homicide matter,” one of the investigating policemen told Armadanews.com.
He also said that the matter will be transferred to the Homicide section of the State Criminal and Investigation Department (SCID), at Panti Street, Yaba for deeper investigation and that an autopsy will definitely be carried out to ascertain the true cause of the boy’s death.
By Monday, August 26, the pool had been closed while many of the subscribers to the swimming pool section are now apprehensive.
One of the regular users of the pool told this newspaper that about two years ago some one also got drowned in the pool, further raising concern over the capacity of the instructors and owners of the hotel to manage pool and the hospitality facility.
It was also learnt that not with standing the large number of persons who subscribe for one form of sporting activity or the other at the Hotel, the management does not take seriously most of the facilities that are needed for such events.
“All they are after is the money they are making from the customers,” one customer said and regretted that the innocent boy had to die the way he did.