Police continues to investigate death of Ifeanyi;two detained 

After thorough investigations,two suspects have been detained in connection with the death of three-year-old Ifeanyi Adeleke, son of music artiste, Davido, and his fiancée, Chioma Rowland. 

These two suspects may have to remain in police custody until they are cleared by an autopsy report.

It was revealed by an anonymous source that the nanny and the cook were directly in charge of Ifeanyi’s welfare at the time of the accident and that they might also be held liable for negligence.

The source said, “The cook and the nanny were the ones directly with the child, so, they are guilty of negligence until the autopsy is conducted. During investigation, we have suspects, and depending on the case, the suspects may or may not be released.

“So far, the family has not objected to the autopsy, but how fast it will be done depends on the hospital. But the next move is to review the CCTV at the house.”

Ifeanyi’s corpse was recovered from the swimming pool at his father’s residence in the Banana Island area of Lagos State and then it was deposited in a mortuary for autopsy.

The police in the course of their investigation subsequently invited the eight domestic workers who were at home at the time of the accident and after interrogation, six of them were released.

The two that remained in custody were the nanny and the cook.

Contacted for a follow-up reaction, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the detention of the suspects, declined to give further details to avoid preempting investigation into the case.

He said, “If we need to detain them for longer than necessary, we will obtain a court order so as to ensure that we are not doing over detention or illegal detention.

“I can’t give much details about an ongoing investigation, but those two people detained are assisting us in our investigation. Those that were released have little or no bearing to the case but the two people detained are assisting us.

“Eight people were brought in for questioning, six people were allowed to go, the remaining two were the ones that have been placed under arrest and that makes them suspect.”

Spokesperson for the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria(PMAN), Asha Gangali, described the death of Ifeanyi as devastating news, and enjoined the state government to review the laws granting ownership of swimming pools to people in the state.

Gangali said, “We would rather enjoin the Lagos State Government to review the permission that is given for swimming pools and certain structures in residential areas that can endanger the lives of minors.

“So, if it is approached from a law standpoint, it will be binding on all. It is not just that we are losing our precious children in the creative and movie industry, it also affects every other individual. If people should have a swimming pool in their residence, there should be precautions to prevent such happenings.”

Recall that in 2018, Daniel, the first son of another music artiste, Dapo Adebanjo, aka D banj, drowned in a swimming pool at his residence in Lagos.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, urged residents in the state to abide by the universal rule that guides the usage of swimming pools.

He said, “I am not sure you need a permit to build a swimming pool in your house, but I know that before you build a house, you bring the drawing for the government to approve.

“But if somebody has any emergency, whether it is in a swimming pool or clubhouse, the state has a solid emergency machinery that swings into action within seconds. But people need to call those emergency numbers to make a report.

“The particular case you are talking about is a family tragedy and the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, personally commiserated with Davido on this irreparable loss.

“For us in Lagos, it is not a time to begin to look into what the government is doing about people building swimming pools in their homes.

“There are universal rules about how to use a swimming pool; if you are a minor, you can’t go in there alone; if you want to swim, you must ensure that there are lifeguards around and should anything happen, there must be people to raise the alarm; the swimming pool must be clearly marked to prevent a novice from going beyond certain meters, among others,”he concluded.