What Really Happened To This Father's Son That Night?

A heartbroken father named Henry Airenekhuemen is pleading for answers and justice following the sudden death of his son, Mattias, at Signatious Hotel in Ajao Estate, Lagos.

Speaking to PUNCH Metro on Monday, Airenekhuemen shared that Mattias, a hardworking young man, had gone to the hotel on Saturday evening for a pool party, not to swim for fun, but to sell tickets and make some extra money to support himself.

At the hospital, Airenekhuemen learned that his son had drowned in the hotel's swimming pool.

He immediately spoke to the friend who had brought Mattias to the facility who explained that Mattias had been sitting with him and a lady.

“About five minutes after he left them, he said he tried to call my son’s phone, but there was no response. He said that when he returned to where they had been sitting, the lady told him my son had left the spot, while showing him his phone, which was still there and charging. He said it was while searching for him that he found my son’s body in the swimming pool,” Airenekhuemen narrated.

Yet the father's grief quickly turned to deep suspicion when he noticed details that did not align with a typical drowning.

“If he truly drowned, why was his stomach flat instead of being swollen? And why was there foam coming out of his mouth and nose?” he asked.

The family promptly reported the incident to the police, who arrived at the hospital, took photographs of the body, and transferred it to the morgue.

Officers later escorted the family to Signatious Hotel to inspect the scene where questions arose about whether a diver or pool supervisor was present during the party, but no clear answers came. According to Airenekhuemen, three people are now detained at the Ajao Estate Police Division.

He said “The manager who was invited to the station and was asked to provide the CCTV footage, but said he had just started working at the hotel, has been detained. The lady who was with my son was also invited to the station, where she wrote her statement and is currently detained. His friend, who claimed to have found him in the swimming pool, was also detained.”