A grieving father, Henry Airenekhuemen, has demanded justice over the death of his son, Mattias, who reportedly drowned in a swimming pool at Signatious Hotel in the Ajao Estate area of Lagos State.
Airenekhuemen, who spoke to PUNCH Metro on Monday, said his deceased son had attended a pool party at the hotel on Saturday evening to sell tickets to earn some money.
He, however, said he received a call from one of his son’s elder brothers that Mattias had been rushed to Isolo General Hospital and that a family member was urgently needed.
He narrated that on arriving at the hospital, he was shocked to see his son’s lifeless body in the car that brought him to the medical facility.
“I was called by one of my son’s elder brothers, who told me that Mattias had been rushed to the Isolo General Hospital and that a family member was needed. When I got to the hospital, I saw my son’s lifeless body in the back seat of the car that brought him.
“When I asked what had happened, I was told that he drowned in the swimming pool at the Signatious Hotel in Ajao Estate. I then asked his friend, who brought him to the hospital, what happened, and he said my son had been with him and a lady. About five minutes after he left them, he said he tried to call my son’s phone, but there was no response.
“He said that when he returned to where they had been sitting, the lady told him my son had left the spot, while showing him his phone, which was still there and charging.
He said it was while searching for him that he found my son’s body in the swimming pool,” he narrated.
Airenekhuemen, however, raised doubts about the drowning claim while also pointing to what he described as unusual physical signs on the body.
“If he truly drowned, why was his stomach flat instead of being swollen? And why was there foam coming out of his mouth and nose?” he asked.
He said the family immediately reported the incident to the police, who visited the hospital, took photographs of the body, and later moved it to the morgue.
The father added that police officers subsequently accompanied the family to the hotel to examine the scene. During the visit, he said questions were raised about the presence of a diver or pool supervisor at the time of the incident, but no answers were provided.
According to him, three persons have so far been detained at the Ajao Estate Police Division.
“The manager who was invited to the station and was asked to provide the CCTV footage, but said he had just started working at the hotel, has been detained. The lady who was with my son was also invited to the station, where she wrote her statement and is currently detained. His friend, who claimed to have found him in the swimming pool, was also detained,” he said.
While expressing suspicion over Mattias’ death, the father said the family received a call from a man who claimed to be a staff member of the hotel and made entreaties.
“Two things that made the death of my son look fishy were that on Sunday, one of my sons, Lucky, got a call from someone who said he was a staff member of the hotel. The person asked him what he wanted to settle the whole issue. Another was that the pool party went on that night despite the fact that my son was found dead in the swimming pool,” he lamented.
During a visit to the hotel on Monday, our correspondent observed that there were skeletal activities at the premises.
A man believed to be a staff member of the facility, who was seen at the gate, however, disclosed that the hotel was undergoing renovation and had been temporarily shut down.
“The manager is not around for now. You can check back later,” he added.
When contacted for a reaction, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, did not respond to calls made to her telephone line. A text message sent to her had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.
Incidents of drowning in swimming pools have been a recurring development, particularly in hotels, recreational centres and private facilities, raising concerns about safety standards and regulatory oversight.
PUNCH Metro reported on January 9 that the Ogun State Police Command called for enhanced safety measures at recreational centres and swimming facilities across the state following the death of a 17-year-old boy who drowned while swimming.
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