The management of Avista Beach Resort has reacted to the circumstances leading to the death of a prophet, Oriyomi Remilekun, who allegedly drowned during a beach hangout in the facility situated in the Ajah area of Lagos State.
The deceased led some youths in his white garment church to the resort on Saturday, February 17, to celebrate this year’s Valentine’s Day.
The picnic said to have lasted through the evening had ended when the whereabouts of late Oriyomi became unknown.
The colleagues were said to have immediately launched a search for the late prophet but efforts to locate him proved abortive. Oriyomi’s remains were later found where it was washed ashore on a separate beach located in the community on Monday.
The management of the resort in a statement posted on its Instagram page, condoled the family of the deceased, while also denying allegations bordering on kidnappings in the facility.
The statement which highlighted the timeline of events leading to the incident noted that the late prophet, his girlfriend, and 13 others arrived at the resort from a nearby hotel around 7:30 pm.
It also stated that the fun-seekers were initially denied entry having brought food and beverages which was against the policy of the facility, but were later granted access.
According to the management, signage on the premises of the resort indicated the absence of lifeguards, while visitors were advised to exercise caution, particularly during nighttime hours when tidal currents may vary.
The statement read in part, “The deceased, accompanied by 14 others, including his girlfriend, arrived at our establishment, Avista Resort, around 7:30 PM on Saturday 17th of February 2024 for an evening at our Resort. They were given access to our Resort because they came with hand tags from the Hotel next to our Resort, with whom we have an agreement to allow their guests to have access to our Resort, however, they brought their own food and beverages which were against our policy, but the manager eventually allowed them to bring in the items after so much pleading.
“The deceased and his friends sat at one of our Cabanas, after some time the group decided to proceed further to the beachfront. It is worth noting that signage on our premises clearly indicates the absence of lifeguards, and visitors are advised to exercise caution, particularly during night time hours when tidal currents may vary.”
The management further explained that they were bound to return to their hotel which was nearby around 9 pm when they realised that the deceased was not among them.
It said, “At approximately 9:00 pm on the same day, while they were bound to return to their hotel which was nearby, they realised that the deceased was not amongst them, they went back to the Beach Front to search for him but couldn’t find him, eventually the group including the deceased girlfriend left the resort without seeing him.
“Once again, please note that neither the deceased nor his friends were lodging or had accommodation at our Resort. The following morning, the family returned with law enforcement officers, alleging that their brother had been kidnapped by Avista.”
While describing such accusations as unfounded and deeply regrettable, the management said, “Throughout our operational history, an incident of this nature has been unprecedented, and we remain committed to upholding the highest standards of hospitality and security as a leading brand in the hospitality industry.”
It also confirmed that the deceased’s body was tragically discovered at another beachfront about six kilometres from Avista Beach Resort, adding that the matter was still under investigation by the police.
The management, however. revealed that the corpse would undergo a thorough autopsy.
“While we await the conclusion of the authorities’ inquiry, we want to assure everyone that Avista Resort will vigorously pursue legal action against any party engaged in defamatory or malicious behaviour, ensuring that justice is served.
“Once again, our deepest sympathies go out to all those affected by this devastating loss,” the statement added.
