Metro
Police Clear Avista Beach Resort of Complicity in Fun Seeker’s Death
Nigeria’s leading hospitality destination, Avista Beach Resort in Lekki, Lagos has been cleared of all rumours of breaches, complicity or wrong doing 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.
Preliminary police investigation has however, revealed that contrary to claims made in the hurried video that the deceased had lodged at the resort, himself and 14 other youthful friends had instead lodged in another hotel close by and only spent about 90 minutes at the resort from 7.30pm 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 re-opened 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 beach front 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 the Saturday after Valentine’s Day at the beach, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time” Adun said.
Below are excerpts from the official media statement made by the management of Avista Beach Resort has been in circulation since its February 22, 2024 release date.
Given the seriousness of the matter, it is very imperative for us to correct some misconception and misrepresentation 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 so much pleading.
The deceased and his friends sat at one of our cabanas, decided to proceed further to the beach front despite signages 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 beach front 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 secured environment” its manager, Adun said.
Avista Beach Resort remains the meeting point of Integrity and Hospitality.
Abuja, the nation’s federal capital, came alive with joy and excitement on Wednesday as a new set of winners in the ongoing Globacom Festival of Joy promotion received mouth-watering prizes they won at a special presentation ceremony held at the premises of Globacom at Aminu Kano Crescent.
A glittering brand new Toyota Prado, a brand new Kia Picanto, tricycles (Keke Napep) and scores of other prizes including power generating sets, sewing machines and grinding machines were handed over to joyful winners.
Sarah Ilya Madu was presented the keys to her brand-new Toyota Prado by Senator Simon Lalong, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth Development, supported by a stellar cast of celebrities and influencers.
Sarah, a federal civil servant from Borno State, who emerged winner of the Toyota Prado in the draw of the promotion held in Abuja last Friday, expressed shock when she was called up. She dropped the call from Globacom several times because the news was too good to be believed.
She said, “I was prevailed upon by my colleagues to do a video call with the Glo staff who called me. Even when I saw the office environment, I was still doubtful.” She added that when she eventually agreed to visit the Glo office, she went with a hefty colleague just in case she was being set up.
Ufot Victor, a 43-year-old businessman based in the FCT, was expectant about winning as he had been recharging regularly so as to cross the minimum requirement for a car. Winning a brand new Kia Picanto was a huge reward for his dedication.
Other lucky winners also went home with tricycles (Keke), power generating sets, sewing machines and grinding machines. Ireimiya Mallo, a SIM registration agent and native of Nasarawa State, who won Keke, said, ”I was so joyful on learning I had won a Keke”. He disclosed that he would be deploying it for commercial purpose”, while the winner of a power generating set, Felix Gabriel, thanked Globacom for always remembering Nigerians every year in its annual promos.
The Special Guest, Senator Simon Lalong, praised the Chairman of Globacom for putting the promo in place for Nigerians and also extolled his strong support for sports. He said he would love to be a winner in the Glo promo one day soon. Also Senator Yemi Adaramodu, the spokesman of the Senate and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth Development, said Globacom has always been a brand after his heart, adding that the network is not just attracting customers but also giving out to show that it means well not only for the customers but also for Nigerians.
In his remarks at the event, Globacom’s Head of Division, North West, Mr. Kazeem Kaka, said that to participate in the Festival of Joy promo, new and existing subscribers should dial *611# so as to opt into the promo and to keep recharging thereafter to meet the threshold for the various prizes. He added that new subscribers can participate immediately by purchasing a new SIM, registering it and dialing *611#.
Guests at the event included representatives of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), Mariam Imam, Assistant Director, Consumer Affairs at the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Moses Iyi; comedians, Tee A, Seyi Law, and Gordons.
Others were Nollywood duo of Ebube Nwagbo and Juliet Ibrahim as well as popular content creator, Kiekie.
U.S immigration and border officials will be able to arrest migrants at so-called “sensitive” locations again, after the Trump administration overturned policies limiting where such arrests could happen.
Officers will now be able to make arrests at designated “sensitive” areas, including houses of worship, schools, and hospitals.
Officials have been prohibited from doing this since 2011.
Later, the Biden administration expanded the regulation, further restricting the authority’s powers.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
“The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”
A second directive reinstates the ability for the U.S. to quickly deport any undocumented person arrested who is unable to prove they have been in the country for more than two years.
A 23-year-old Turkish OnlyFans model, Azranur AV aka Ezra Vandan, has been arrested by Istanbul police after announcing her plan to engage in sexual activity with 100 men within 24 hours.
Vandan’s social media post, in which she declared her intention to live-stream the act in an attempt to set a national record, was deemed “obscene” and “damaging” to public morals by authorities.
“My goal is to break a Turkish record first, then a world record!” she wrote in the now-viral post.
Her arrest was carried out by the Morality Bureau of the Istanbul Security Branch Directorate at a cosmetic surgery clinic in Atasehir, Istanbul.
