By Bose Adelaja

Tears flowed freely yesterday, in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, when the body of a Level 300 student of the Business Education Department of Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU, who drowned, was recovered at 2p.m., after a three-day search.

Tragedy occurred last Thursday, when 10 students went to a nearby river to swim. One of them drowned and the campus was thrown into confusion.

The deceased, Petemowo Abiodun, was said to have seen a friend off to a bus stop at 5.30p.m., to board a vehicle to Lagos. On his way home, he was said to have met nine other students on their way to the river and he followed them.

It was gathered that as soon as the tragedy occurred, the other students rushed to the campus to break the news and a search party was organised.

The body was not recovered until it came afloat yesterday.

‘An old woman warned him’
One sympathiser, Bisiriyu Ishola, said an aged woman had warned the students to turn back, but that they ignored her.

A commercial motorcycle operator, Tajudeen Odusola, said a day before the incident, there was a downpour and students were warned not to go near the river. Some residents said it was the first time such incident would be recorded in the town.

An official of the school, who asked not to be named, said the search party went as far as Okun-Owa in search of the boy, but was unsuccessful until yesterday, when he was sighted afloat in the river.