Student Drowns Over N300 Bet, Body Recovered

The body of a 200-level Chemical Engineering student from the Federal University, Otuoke, who drowned in Ekoli Creek, Yenagoa, was recovered after he reportedly attempted to swim across the creek for a ₦300 bet.

The student’s remains were retrieved from the river on Monday evening, nearly 24 hours after he went missing.

Witnesses reported that he jumped into the water but failed to resurface. Grief-stricken students from the university held a candlelight procession in his honour on Monday night.

When contacted, the university’s Public Relations Officer, Mercy Ekott, declined to comment, stating via text message, “I’m sorry, but I haven’t been authorized to speak on the matter.”

Confirming the incident on Tuesday, the spokesperson for the Bayelsa State Police Command, Musa Mohammed, stated that an investigation is ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.

“The deceased had gone to the river with a friend to bathe. Unfortunately, during the process, he jumped into the water and drowned. We urge students, especially young people, to exercise caution around rivers, whether they know how to swim or not,” he advised.

Sources allege that the student wagered he could swim across the creek, but halfway through, he submerged and did not reappear.