Nigeria’s leading hospitality destination, Avista Beach Resort in Lekki, Lagos, has been cleared of all rumours of breaches, complicity, or wrongdoing in the unfortunate circumstances leading to the death of a fun-seeker.
A grossly misinformed phone-recorded video posted on social media a few days after Valentine’s Day had alleged that the fun-seeker, who was reported missing, had been kidnapped and his body parts mutilated by ritualists.
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Preliminary police investigation, however, revealed that contrary to claims made in the hurried video that the deceased had lodged at the resort, he and 14 other youthful friends had instead lodged in another hotel close by and only spent about 90 minutes at the resort from 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm.
Upon receiving a call the next day from Barracuda Beach, which is about 6 kilometres away from Avista Beach Resort, the police drove down to recover the body and confirmed he had drowned, and his body parts were untouched and intact. Apparently, the cold ocean waves had washed his body ashore so far away from the resort.
It is commendable to note that the Lagos State Safety Commission, upon hearing news of the mishap, had immediately swung into action; initially sealed up the resort to investigate the matter, but later reopened it after facts emerged that all safety measures were adhered to at Avista Beach Resort.
Speaking on behalf of the popular Avista Beach Resort, the manager, Nosa Adun, has made further clarifications to the media, saying, “If caution had been exercised and the warning signs at the beachfront followed by the young man and his friends, the tragedy would have been totally averted. This has never happened before at Avista.
“However, we wish to express our heartfelt condolence to the family and friends of the deceased over the tragic incident that occurred on the Saturday after Valentine’s Day at the beach, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time,” Adun said.
Given the seriousness of the matter, it is imperative for us to correct some misconceptions and misrepresentations of facts in the media space. The deceased, accompanied by 14 others, including his girlfriend, arrived for an evening at our resort, and they were given access to our resort because they came with hand tags from the hotel next to our resort. They brought their own foods and beverages, which was against our policy but were eventually allowed to bring in the items after much pleading.
The deceased and his friends sat at one of our cabanas, decided to proceed further to the beachfront despite signage that clearly advised caution due to the absence of lifeguards, particularly at night when tidal currents may vary.
At 9.00 pm, while they were bound to return to their hotel, they realized that the deceased was not amongst them. They went back to the beachfront to search for him but couldn’t find him and left the resort without seeing him.
The following morning, the family returned with law enforcement officers, alleging that their brother had been kidnapped by Avista. The accusations are unfounded and regrettable. At Avista, we remain committed to upholding the highest standards of safety and security as a leading brand in the hospitality industry.
Currently, the matter is still under investigation by the Nigerian police. The body will undergo a thorough autopsy. While we await the conclusion of the inquiry, we will vigorously pursue legal action against any party engaged in defamatory or malicious publications or behaviour to ensure that justice is served.
Avista Beach Resort, aka ‘the coolest beach in Lagos’, was founded in 2020 and designed to compare favourably with some of the most patronized beach resorts in the world as a family vacation destination. “Beyond the sea ambience and experience, our guests enjoy nature, great cuisines, and very comfortable accommodation in a very secure environment,” its manager, Adun, said.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
