Student, other die in Imo hotel

Residents of Edede, Owerri in Imo State, on Friday, woke up to hear the news of the mysterious death of two male staff members of Home Best Hotel, who passed away in their sleep in the same room in the hotel.

An eyewitness, who narrated the incident to our correspondent, said one of the deceased, Chima Nnadi , 25, a part-time student of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, who hails from Enyiogugu, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, put off a generating set that was running close to their room at about 11.39pm.

The eyewitness added that Nnadi retired into the room where Chukwunonso Ebubealo, 29, from Awka in Anambra State, was already asleep.

Both men were however found dead by another employee of the hotel, who forced the door of their room open on the instruction of the hotel manager, simply known as Ngozi, after both men were not seen at there duty posts at about 9am on Friday.

The Chief Vigilante of the area, Anayo Adiele, said the deceased staff had a good relationship and dismissed any allegation of both taking their own lives.

One of the residents of the area, who declined to disclose his identity, said, “I don’t think they died of any generator fume, they put off the generator before going to bed. I think both of them might have died of poison from the last meal they ate that night.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Andrew Enwerem, said he had yet to be briefed officially on the tragic incident.

Our correspondent, who visited the scene, reported that the corpse of the young men have since been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, for autopsy.

This story was first published by THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER.