A final year National Diploma (ND) student of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, Imo State, in the Department of Building Technology, Ebuka Onuoha and his friend and Jambite, Edozie Igwilo last weekend got drowned in the Otamiri River.
The duo were said to have died in the river following their refusal to heed the advice of the villagers.
Speaking to newsmen on Sunday after the bodies of the deceased were recovered, an eye witness who escaped death, Chukwudi Okwuchukwu said he helplessly watched his lodge-mate and friend drown in the river.
He disclosed that the deceased hail from Anambra.
According to him, Igwilo who was a JAMB candidate in Owerri requested that they go to swim in the river.
“While the deceased were swimming, they persuaded me to join them but I refused instead, I was snapping them with their phones and mine”, he said.
Okwuchukwu who is a first year student of Computer Science, revealed that an indigene of the village warned them against swimming but they thought it was one of those village champions trying to demonstrate his wisdom.
Continuing, he said while watching them play in the river, they suddenly started struggling to come out but were already sinking.
Okwuchukwu who spoke amidst tears said his efforts at saving them was consuming him and he had to leave them and sought the help of the villagers who brought divers to search for them in vain.
Also speaking, the youth leader of Umuoma Nekede Autonomous Community, Mr. Chinedu Ejiogu said the river is always dirty and deep during the rainy season, adding that the river the villagers dread should not be patronized or swum by non-indigenes.
He used the opportunity to warn the students against going to the Otamiri River to swim because it is not a tourist village.
courtesy: Nigeria newspoint
