Suspect arrested over UNIPORT undergraduate’s death

One person has been arrested in connection with the death of an undergraduate at the University of Port Harcourt in Choba, Rivers State.

The deceased identified Eric Mudiagha, a final-year student of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, was alleged to have died of a suspected drug overdose.

City Round learnt that Mudiagha allegedly passed out alongside another student after smoking what he thought was a normal cigarette brought in by a friend while they were playing football on Thursday.

While the other student was said to have regained consciousness later, efforts to revive Mudiagha were unsuccessful.

He was said to have been confirmed dead at an undisclosed hospital where he was rushed for medical examination.

When contacted, the spokesman of the University of Port Harcourt, Dr Sammy Kpenu, confirmed the incident, describing it as unfortunate.

Kpenu, however, said the incident happened at an off-campus accommodation, saying the friend who allegedly gave the material to Mudiaga has been arrested.

The spokesman further said the parents of the deceased had come to claim the corpse of their son.

He stated, “Yes, it happened. But it was at the off-campus (accommodation) not on the university campus. We cannot ascertain if it was an overdose as reported because I’m not a medical doctor.

“But from what we gathered, he was confirmed dead in the hospital and his parents have come and they have taken his corpse.

“What had happened is very unfortunate, and his parents had come to take his remains yesterday (Thursday). The boy who allegedly gave him the drug has been arrested.”