The marine unit of the Cross River State Police Command yesterday said it had recovered the bodies of three medical students, who went missing after a boat mishap last Saturday.
The bodies were recovered in collaboration with locals around the Marina Resort Area, Calabar, yesterday morning, the Cross River’s Commissioner of Police, Gyogen Grima, said. Speaking to journalists at the resort, Grima said the force had not rested since the incident happened last Saturday.
“Today, I want to let you know that the three bodies have been recovered and have been delivered to us. When the bodies were sighted, our marine police raced to the scene and with joint effort, the bodies were recovered and we are taking them to where they will be preserved for now.
“The governor is already taking some actions as you can see the resort was shut down yesterday, that is to tell you that this incident is being taken seriously,” he said.
Grima added that all measures needed to secure lives and properties in the tourism sector of the state’s economy were being addressed and “in no distant time something will be heard from the authorities.’’
The three bodies recovered were of two males and a female. The two males and a female were students of the Ahmadu Bello University, Niger Delta University and the University of Uyo, respectively.
The three students went missing, while 11 others under the aegis of the Nigeria Medical Students Association (NIMSA), were rescued last Saturday after a speedboat capsized at a Calabar resort. It was gathered that the passengers were on a boat cruise, when the mishap occurred around 3pm.
Some of the medical students were said to have come from universities across the country to attend the NIMSA annual Health Week in Calabar. In a bid to explore the city, the students were said to have visited the Marina Resort for a boat cruise.