Police arrest principal as SS3 student drowns in Delta school

The principal of Government Technical College, Ogor, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State has been arrested by operatives of the state police command following the alleged drowning of an SS3 student of the school identified as ThankGod Emumirigwe, in a borrow pit within the school premises.

The deceased, from the Mechanical Department of the technical school, was said to have drowned while bathing in the borrow pit after having participated in a grass cutting exercise in the school last Friday.

Sources said that students of the school had earlier in the day gone for grass cutting exercise. When they finished working at about 11am, some of them went to the borrow pit to freshen up.

“As they were bathing, it was discovered that the boy was drowning. Some of the students who were with him brought him out and then alerted the school authority,” a source said.

However, the deceased reportedly died on his way to the hospital and was officially confirmed dead on arrival by the hospital management.

One of our sources alleged that the principal was initially approached and enjoined to rush the drowned boy to the hospital but he directed that the labour master be called.

But the labour master was reportedly not around at the time of the incident.

The principal was accused of resorting to videoing the students as he allegedly thought they were probably pretending.

Efforts were eventually made to look for a commercial tricycle, otherwise known as ‘Keke’ to rush the student to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead.

Consequently, the ugly incident reportedly sparked a mass protest by students of the school who vandalised a building harbouring the principal’s office in the school.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer for Delta State Command, DSP Bright Edafe told journalists that “It was a sudden unnatural death, SUD”.

“He (the boy) died in a pond at the school’s premises while doing labour. He was working. He died while on his way to the hospital”, the PPRO said.

Our correspondent could not however confirm whether or not the arrested principal had been released by the police from Ughelli Area Command as of the time of filing this report.

(The PUNCH)