Police shut Rivers hotel after man dies under suspicious circumstances

A hotel in Eagle Island Estate, Port Harcourt, has been shut down by police after a young man, identified as Charles, died under questionable circumstances. The incident occurred on Thursday morning, leading to a chaotic scene as the deceased's family and friends demanded an explanation from the hotel management.

Family members expressed dissatisfaction with the initial explanation that Charles fell from a balcony. They insisted on viewing the hotel's CCTV footage to ascertain the cause of death. The situation escalated, prompting intervention from operatives of the Azikiwe Police Division who were called to restore calm.

Charles' elder brother, Obomate, stated that the family was informed of the death around 5 a.m. He noted that upon visiting the hotel, they found no evidence of a fall. Instead, they observed signs of a struggle, scattered debris, and traces of blood. At the hospital, a doctor indicated that the wound on Charles' stomach appeared to be a deep stab wound, and suspected he had been severely beaten, with injuries to his neck and body.

The police have since shut down the hotel, ordering all occupants to leave the premises. This action is believed to be aimed at securing the scene and preventing the tampering of evidence. The family continues to demand access to the CCTV footage to uncover the truth behind Charles' death.

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I was at home around 5 am 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 (the doctor) also said he suspects 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.