A Benue State University undergraduate has drowned in the River Benue, WuzupNigeria gathered on Wednesday.

The deceased, identified simply as Shadrach, a 100-level student of the Benue State University, had gone to the river to wash clothes when the incident happened at Wadata area of Makurdi metropolis.

He was said to have been with his relatives.

A resident of the area, who gave his name as Elijah, said the deceased lived in another part of Makurdi, the capital city, but just returned to the family house at the Wadata rice mill suburb following the death of his grandfather on Thursday, May 7, 2020.

The resident said that the deceased went to the river bank alongside his two other relatives to wash his clothes and fetch water from the river.

“It was while he was washing the clothes that he slipped into the river. His two relatives immediately dived into the water to rescue him but he was dead in few minutes afterwards.

“His body has been conveyed in a vehicle to mortuary,” Elijah said.

Another neighbour, who identified herself as Hassanah, said the deceased family house was opposite hers at the rice mill and around 9:30am, she saw the undergraduate within his grandfather’s compound.

“The boy (deceased) does not live here, he only came to the family house following the death of his grandfather last Thursday.

” The deceased grandfather hasn’t even been buried before this (death of the undergraduate) incident occurred,” she added.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Catherine Anene, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said that the young lad was rescued alive from the water but died later at the hospital.

“Yes, it happened but the young man of 18 was brought out of the water alive before he died in the hospital,” Anene said.