Olusegun ARIYO
A disappointed father, Henry Airenekhuemen, has called for a thorough investigation into the death of his son, Mattias, who reportedly drowned in a swimming pool at Signatious Hotel in the Ajao Estate area of Lagos State.
In an interview with our correspondent on Monday, Airenekhuemen said Mattias had attended a poolside event at the hotel on Saturday evening, where he was selling tickets to earn some income.
He explained that his ordeal began when one of Mattias’ older brothers alerted him that the young man had been rushed to Isolo General Hospital and that the family was urgently needed.
“I was told that my son had been taken to Isolo General Hospital. When I got there, I was shocked to see his lifeless body inside the vehicle that brought him,” Airenekhuemen said.
According to him, inquiries at the hospital revealed that Mattias was said to have drowned in the hotel’s swimming pool. He recounted what he was told by a friend who accompanied his son to the venue.
“The friend said Mattias was with him and a lady. About five minutes after leaving them, he tried calling Mattias, but there was no response. When he returned to where they had been sitting, the lady told him Mattias had stepped away, even though his phone was still there, charging,” he narrated.
Airenekhuemen said it was during a search for Mattias that his body was allegedly discovered inside the swimming pool.
However, the grieving father expressed doubts about the drowning narrative, citing what he described as suspicious physical observations.
“If he actually drowned, why was his stomach not bloated? And why was there foam coming out of his mouth and nose?” he queried.
He said the incident was promptly reported to the police, who visited the hospital, documented the scene, and transferred the body to the morgue. Officers later accompanied the family to the hotel to inspect the premises.
During the visit, Airenekhuemen said concerns were raised over the absence of a pool supervisor or professional diver at the time of the incident, but no satisfactory explanation was given.
He disclosed that three individuals are currently in custody at the Ajao Estate Police Division in connection with the case.
“The hotel manager was invited and asked to provide CCTV footage, but he claimed he had just resumed work. He is being detained. The lady who was with my son has also been detained after giving her statement, as well as the friend who said he found my son in the pool,” he said.
The father also alleged that certain developments deepened the family’s suspicion surrounding the death.
“One of my sons received a call from someone who claimed to be a hotel staff member, asking what we wanted to settle the matter. Also, the pool party continued that same night, even after my son was found dead in the pool,” he lamented.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Lagos State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls to the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, were not answered, and a text message sent to her had not been replied to as of the time of filing this report.
