YENAGOA: tragic incident unfolded in Yenagoa on Sunday morning when a 200-level Chemical Engineering student from the Federal University, Otuoke, reportedly drowned at the Ekoli Creek following a bet with his classmates.
The student, whose identity has not been confirmed, had wagered that he could swim across the river for a stake of N300.
According to sources close to the development, the student, eager to prove his swimming ability, challenged his peers to raise the N300 and placed a bet on swimming across the creek.
While attempting to swim across the river, he suddenly went under the water and failed to resurface. Despite efforts by his friends and classmates to locate him, the student remains missing, and his body had not been recovered by Monday morning.
An anonymous source, who is a fellow student of the university, provided further details on the incident. The source said, Yesterday morning, a 200-level Chemical Engineering student made a bet with his course-mates that he could swim across the Ekoli Creek.
They all contributed N300 each for the wager. As he swam, he suddenly dipped beneath the water, and despite attempts to locate him, he has not been seen again. He is still missing.
The authorities have yet to confirm any further details. Efforts by Rapido space news reporter to reach the university’s Public Relations Officer, Ms. Mercy Ekott, were unsuccessful, as she did not respond to calls placed to her mobile phone.
Meanwhile, Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Musa Mohammed, confirmed that he had not received any official briefing about the incident as of Monday afternoon.
When asked about the student’s identity, Mohammed could not provide any information, stating,I have no information on the incident.” He further stated that he would update the press once he received official confirmation or details.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of students engaging in dangerous activities as part of recreational bets.
Many are now questioning the oversight of such activities, as well as the absence of proper supervision during students’ leisure time.
As of now, search operations have not yet yielded any results, and the family, friends, and university community are left in a state of anxiety, hoping for a resolution to the tragedy.
The tragic drowning incident serves as a somber reminder of the dangers associated with reckless behaviors, especially among young people engaging in risky challenges without understanding the potential consequences.
University officials, along with local authorities, may need to reconsider the safety measures for students to prevent such unfortunate events from occurring in the future.
