VICTIM WAS NOT BEATEN TO DEATH IN COSMILA HOTEL AWKA SWIMMING POOL INCIDENT - POLICE

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By Adeola Abdullah

The police in Anambra State, south-east Nigeria, have spoken about a lady who was found dead in a swimming pool at Cosmila Hotel in Awka, the state capital.

The victim, Chinyere Awuda, a 27-year-old lady, was found dead, on 17 July, inside the hotel’s swimming pool in the state.

Awuda, an indigene of Nnobi in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state, was accused of picking some money that was being sprayed on a birthday celebrant at a party.

The victim was said to have been beaten to death when she was caught, and her body was subsequently dumped at the swimming pool.

However, the hotel management denied the claim and explained that the victim ran out after allegedly stealing part of the money being sprayed at the party and mistakenly fell into the pool, which they said, was long abandoned.

The victim’s family alleged a cover-up by the hotel management, insisting that their daughter had bruises on her body when her body was recovered from the pool and that the police stopped them from taking photographs of the body.

They consequently appealed to the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Aderemi Adeoye, to carry out an investigation into the incident.

The police would later arrest the celebrant and his three friends before commencing investigation.

The state government immediately ordered the hotel’s closure pending the conclusion of the investigation into the matter.

The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement on Friday, said an autopsy report conducted on the victim’s body showed that drowning, not beating, was the cause of her death.

“Contrary to claims that the deceased was beaten to death, the pathologist found no sign of trauma on the body,” Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said.

The police spokesperson said the finding was in line with the initial report that the lady ran away over the allegation of stealing at the party and was not found afterwards, despite several efforts by some persons at the party.

“It would appear that she fell into the abandoned swimming pool and drowned,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Adeoye, has directed that the case file be forwarded to the state’s attorney-general for vetting and legal advice, Mr Ikenga said.

A man, Mr Benson, who told an online news platform that he is a regular clubber at Cosmila Hotel said: “Some of these girls just dress up and come to the club and begin to pick money. While you’re spraying money on your friends, these girls will just be picking and pocketing the money.

“Because men are already drunk in clubs, the girls get away with the money. I see them regularly, I’m a regular clubber at Cosmila.

“I was not in the club last weekend, but I heard that the girl besides picking, went for money that someone kept by his seat side, which he was getting prepared to go and spray. That was what happened.

“With what has happened to this lady, I hope others will stop that lifestyle and get something doing.”