Police quiz three over swimming pool death

Police detectives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department on Wednesday questioned three members of staff of Chinese Group of Companies over the death of two of its employees at the company’s swimming pool.

Our correspondent, who visited the SCID, learnt that the PRO of the company, identified as Mr. Ajiboye; a driver and a Chinese national were quizzed by the detectives.

It was learnt that Wednesday was the first time the police would question any member of staff of the company since the incident occurred.

Two of the workers, Richard Dada and Odion Imhonbhio, died in controversial circumstances at the pool on September 9.

It was learnt that members or Richard’s family wrote statements at the SCID on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Simeon, the elder brother of Richard, has accused the management of avoiding the deceased family.

He said since Richard and his colleague, Imhonbhio, died in the pool, all efforts to see the company’s management had been met with a sharp rebuff.

The deceased’s brother, spoke with our correspondent on Wednesday at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, Lagos.

He said, “Since the incident occurred, the management of CGC has refused to see us. We have only been speaking with the driver and the Public Relations Officer of the company. They were also the ones that offered N500,000 settlement to us.

“It took the publication of PUNCH Metro to shake the company before they started to take us seriously.”

Simeon said he learnt that the company had advised its members of staff to avoid using the swimming pool as it was being renovated, adding that the deceased were said to have defied this instruction.

He however said even if the swimming pool was under construction, the employees ought not to have drowned.

He said, “It’s a swimming pool, not a river. If you see the two corpses, their stomachs were flat which means they didn’t take in any water. It’s our firm suspicion that they were killed and thrown into the pool.

“My brother was a very good swimmer; he had worked in the company for about four years. He worked in the company’s head office in Kaduna before he was transferred to Lagos.”

When our correspondent approached the PRO of CGC for comment, he refused to speak
Punch