A grieving father, Henry Airenekhuemen, has demanded a comprehensive investigation into the death of his son, Mattias, who reportedly died after an incident at the swimming pool of Signatious Hotel in the Ajao Estate area of Lagos State.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Monday, Airenekhuemen said his son had attended a poolside event at the hotel on Saturday evening, where he was engaged in selling tickets to earn money.
He said the family became alarmed after one of Mattias’ elder brothers informed him that the young man had been rushed to the Isolo General Hospital and that their presence was urgently required.
Airenekhuemen said he was devastated on arrival at the hospital. “I was told my son had been taken to Isolo General Hospital.
When I got there, I saw his lifeless body inside the vehicle that brought him,” he said.
According to him, information obtained at the hospital indicated that Mattias was said to have drowned in the hotel’s swimming pool.
He added that a friend who accompanied his son to the venue later narrated the events leading to the discovery.
He explained that the friend told him Mattias was in his company alongside a lady at the venue and that he had stepped away briefly.
On returning, repeated attempts to reach Mattias on the phone were unsuccessful, while the lady reportedly claimed he had left, despite his phone still being connected to a charger.
Airenekhuemen said a search was subsequently conducted, during which Mattias’ body was allegedly found in the swimming pool.
However, the father said he was not convinced by the account of drowning, raising concerns over what he described as unusual physical observations, which, according to him, warranted further investigation.
He said the matter was reported to the police, who visited the hospital, documented the incident and moved the body to the morgue.
He added that officers later accompanied family members to the hotel to inspect the facility.
During the visit, Airenekhuemen said questions were raised about the absence of a pool supervisor or trained personnel at the time of the incident, but no clear explanation was provided.
He disclosed that three persons were currently being held at the Ajao Estate Police Division in connection with the case.
“The hotel manager was invited to provide CCTV footage but claimed he had just resumed work. He is being detained.
The lady who was with my son and the friend who said he discovered him in the pool are also in custody after making statements,” he said.
The bereaved father further alleged that the family’s suspicions were heightened by subsequent developments, including a call allegedly received from someone who claimed to be a hotel staff, asking what it would take to resolve the matter, as well as claims that activities at the venue continued later that night.
Efforts to get a response from the Lagos State Police Command were unsuccessful as calls and messages sent to the Police Public Relations Officer had not been returned as of the time of filing this report.