Dr Matthew Uwuigbe, a senior lecturer at Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, has died after he was found unresponsive in a hotel room where he had been with a 21-year-old woman.
The incident occurred at a hotel in the Mosco area of Ekpoma, in Esan West Local Government Area, with the circumstances surrounding the lecturer’s death now under police investigation.
According to the Edo State Police Command, Uwuigbe had checked into the hotel with a woman identified as Angela Defa Jacob. Police said he subsequently asked her to leave the room to purchase water.
When Jacob returned, she reportedly found the lecturer lying unresponsive in the room. The incident was subsequently reported to the police at about 8pm on October 5.
Edo State Police spokesperson Eno Ikoedem confirmed that three people had been taken into custody over the incident. They include Jacob, the hotel owner and the hotel manager.
Police said the arrests were part of efforts to establish what happened before Uwuigbe was found dead. His remains have been deposited at the Oriaifo Memorial Hospital mortuary pending further examination.
AAU has confirmed that Uwuigbe was a member of its academic staff but stressed that the incident occurred outside the university. The institution also clarified that the woman involved was not an AAU student.
The police have not established the cause of Uwuigbe’s death or said that the reported encounter caused it. Investigations are continuing to determine the circumstances surrounding his death.