Police shut Rivers hotel after man’s death

It was a chaotic scene on Thursday morning after a young man, simply identified as Charles, died under suspicious circumstances at a hotel in Eagle Island Estate, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that family members and friends of the deceased stormed the hotel after learning of his death and demanded an explanation from the management.

The incident disrupted activities at the hotel as the family expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation that Charles fell from the balcony of a two-storey building at the rear of the facility.

The family, however, insisted on seeing the hotel’s CCTV footage to ascertain what happened to the deceased.

As the situation escalated, operatives of the Azikiwe Police Division, Port Harcourt, reportedly raced to the hotel following a distress call and intervened to calm the situation.

The elder brother of the deceased, identified as Obomate, told newsmen that the family was informed of Charles’ death around 5am on Thursday.

Obomate said the family remained determined to obtain the CCTV footage despite the intervention of the police.

He said, “I was at home around 5am when they called me. My younger sister said someone had taken pictures and sent them to her, informing her that my younger brother had died.

“We were told that he fell from the balcony of a two-storey building at the back of the hotel.

“We visited the hotel, but we did not see any trace indicating that he fell from the balcony.

“What we saw were signs suggesting that someone had struggled or possibly engaged in a fight. The area was scattered, and we also saw traces of blood.

“When we got to the hospital, the doctor told us that it was not a mere fall. He said the wound he observed on my brother’s stomach appeared to be a stab wound that had penetrated deeply.

“He also said he suspected that something had been used to hit him on the neck. It appeared that he had been severely beaten, as he also had injuries on his body.”

Obomate called for justice and a thorough investigation into the incident, saying, “My brother cannot die like that. That’s why we want a thorough investigation to know what really happened.”

Meanwhile, the police have shut down the hotel and ordered everyone, including guests, to vacate the premises temporarily.

A source familiar with the incident, who pleaded anonymity, said the police action was likely aimed at securing the scene, preventing the possible tampering with or destruction of evidence, and averting any attack on the hotel.

“As we speak, the hotel has been closed by the police. They asked everybody to vacate the premises. But the family are still there, asking to see the CCTV before they leave and the body is disposed of,” the source said.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, proved abortive as of the time of filing this report on Thursday afternoon.

The deceased’s remains have since been removed and deposited at an undisclosed mortuary by the police.