A five-year-old boy has drowned during a swimming lesson organised by his school in Ikeja, Lagos.

Chidera Eze, a student of the Redeemers Nursery and Primary School, Ogba, Lagos State, went for the swimming lesson at the Ivory Health Club, Ogundana Street, Ikeja.

He and other students were accompanied by some teachers and caregivers of the school.

During the swimming lesson, Chidera and other students were said to be playing at the tip of the pool when he slipped into it.

His father, Anthony, told a Punch correspondent on Wednesday, May 18, that the teachers, caregivers and lifeguards were not aware that his son had fallen into the pool until he drowned.

He said: “I dropped my children at the Redeemers Nursery and Primary School on Acme Road, Ogba, on Monday morning, and I went to work.

At 10.52am, I got a call from their head teacher, Mrs Adeola Oladipo, and she told me that my son was involved in an accident and that he had been rushed to the Ikeja Medical Centre.

“I rushed down there, but what I saw was the lifeless body of my son.

I asked the head teacher what happened and she said she did not know.

I asked the doctor what happened and he said he was brought in dead.

I asked the teachers, caregivers and workers at the club what happened and they gave no explanation.

“As I was crying, my wife came in; I was trying to manage the information, but the head teacher also informed her and as she ran into the hospital, I became totally confused.

I went to the Area F Police Station and after the policemen took pictures of my son’s corpse, we went to the club.

“When we got there, we discovered that it was the adult swimming pool section that they took the pupils to.

I was alarmed and while the policemen were investigating, we realised that CCTV was installed at the club.

So, we demanded to check the CCTV footage and it revealed everything.

“Anthony claimed that the footage revealed that his son was in the pool for over 30 minutes before he died, adding that his son’s corpse was discovered by another person, who came to swim in the pool.