A senior lecturer at Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, Dr Matthew Uwuigbe, has reportedly died in a hotel room in Ekpoma under circumstances that have prompted a police investigation.
Uwuigbe, a lecturer in the Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, was said to have lodged at the hotel before the incident occurred.
According to the Edo State Police Command, the lecturer had reportedly engaged the services of a 21-year-old woman identified as Angela Defa Jacob while at the hotel.
Police said the woman was later sent out by Uwuigbe to purchase water. However, upon her return to the hotel room, she allegedly found the lecturer unresponsive and raised an alarm.
The circumstances surrounding the lecturer’s sudden death remain unclear, as the police have not yet established the cause of death.
Following the incident, the hotel owner, manager and the 21-year-old woman were reportedly taken into police custody to assist with the ongoing investigation.
The police are expected to question those who may have had contact with the deceased before his death and examine the circumstances leading to the discovery of his body.
Uwuigbe’s remains have since been deposited at a mortuary, while further investigations are being conducted to determine what happened in the hotel room.
The police have not indicated that any of the detained persons has been charged with a crime, and their detention is understood to be part of the investigation into the lecturer’s death.
The incident has generated concern within the university community and among residents of Ekpoma, particularly because of the sudden nature of the lecturer’s death.
Authorities are expected to rely on medical examination and other available evidence to establish the cause and circumstances of the death.
Until the investigation and medical examination are concluded, no definitive conclusion can be drawn about how Dr Uwuigbe died.
The Edo State Police Command has continued its investigation, while the deceased’s family, colleagues and members of the university community await further information from the authorities.
