Two persons suspected to be students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Anambra State were found dead in a private hostel close to the institution on Sunday evening.
It was gathered that the two persons; a male and female, were killed from a generator’s fume.
A source close to the institution said the room was forced open following heavy stench oozing out from the room due to the decaying dead bodies.
The source also said that due to the level of decay the duo might have died some days ago without their neighbours being aware.
According to the source, the girl was not picking up her calls which got her parents worried and they decided to check on her.
“When the parent got to the hostel and found out it was locked from inside they reported to the police who came and forced the door open. No mark of violence on the bodies.
“They died apparently from carbon monoxide poisoning from generator fumes. The generator was found in an enclosed space facing the room,” the source said.
Daily Trust further gathered that the police in the company of the Student Union Government officials and the parents of the girl were said to have evacuated the corpses to a morgue in Awka for further investigation.
The Chief Security Officer of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Mr Ken Chukwura said one of the people that died in the private hostel close to the institution was not a student of the university.
He confirmed that the female person was a student, while the male was not a student of the school.
He however regretted that the private operators of hostels in the environment are not interested in the security of the hostels they rent out to students.
Moreso, the Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng, has attributed their death to fumes from the generator.
The commissioner in a statement issued by the command’s spokesman, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, said the preliminary investigation revealed that fumes from the generator were strongly perceived in the room.
According to him, the door was forcefully opened by police officers that responded to the distress call.
He said that the bodies were recovered and deposited in the morgue and no mark of violence was found on the bodies.
However, he urged the general public especially generator users to keep it away from the windows to avoid poisonous fumes like Carbon monoxide which affects the ventilation of the house.
“I wish to enlighten the general public on the dangers of carbon monoxide. A dangerous substance that is very toxic to health.
“This substance when inhaled can cause serious damage to the body and can lead to death.
“The substances mostly emanate from generators, water heaters, coal-burning appliances or any gasoline-powered engine” he said.
