The management of Merryhome Hotels, located on Chief Ubani Street, Off 7Up Road in Ogbor Hill, Aba, has responded to the tragic drowning of 17-year-old Divine Odide, whose lifeless body was recovered from the hotel’s swimming pool on June 10, 2025.
In an exclusive interview with PUO REPORTS on Thursday, the Chief Executive Officer of Merryhome Hotels, Mr. Felix Abengowe, described the incident as unfortunate and mysterious. He stated that the hotel is cooperating fully with police investigators and refuted claims by the deceased’s father, Mr. Orji Odide, suggesting negligence on the part of the hotel.
“The incident is truly unfortunate, but what I must clarify is that we have strict policies in place. We boldly display signs at the reception and pool area warning that only experienced swimmers are allowed in the pool,” Mr. Abengowe explained.
He said the hotel had received a group of over 40 students on the day of the incident, but only 14 were allowed into the pool after declaring they could swim.
“Even in their school WhatsApp group, it was agreed that only those who could swim would be allowed into the pool. We had a staff member monitoring the group—though not a trained lifeguard—but shortly after he stepped away, we heard people screaming that someone was drowning,” he said.
Mr. Abengowe expressed concerns over the conflicting accounts from Divine’s peers, revealing that none of them claimed to have seen him enter the water.
“Even the boy’s father questioned them, asking how it was possible that no one saw him get into the pool, yet they found his body inside,” he added.
He also raised suspicion about the swift action of the school group administrator, who reportedly removed Divine from their WhatsApp group immediately after the incident and has since gone into hiding.
“There’s a possibility that something else happened. The father suspects that some classmates might have pushed his son into the pool due to jealousy, as he was well-dressed and used a good phone,” Mr. Abengowe alleged.
He confirmed that five students have been arrested and are assisting police with investigations.
Addressing public concerns, Mr. Abengowe dismissed rumors that Merryhome Hotels has a history of pool-related deaths.
“The last pool-related incident was in 2021 and was properly reported to the police. We are not a hotel where people just come to die. We’ve always warned that if you don’t know how to swim, you shouldn’t be in the pool. The management cannot be held responsible if this policy is ignored,” he said.
The hotel’s CEO reiterated the management’s readiness to cooperate fully with authorities and expressed regret over the tragic loss of young Divine Odide.
