Kelvin Odenigbo, Nigerian footballer, drowns in Belarus lake

Kelvin Odenigbo, the Nigerian footballer who plied his trade for FC Vitebsk in Belarus, has been found dead after drowning in a lake.

The Belarusian Premier League club confirmed the demise of the 20-year-old striker in a statement on its website.

In the statement, the club said Odenigbo drowned and his corpse was found on Saturday by the lake Beloye, a tourist destination in the Vitebsk region.

“We express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the football player. The football club Vitebsk reports that on June 5, 2021, on the lake Beloye, in the area of the tourist base Verasy, OSVOD employees found the drowned Kelvin Odenigbo,” the statement read.

The club also promised to release more details about Odenigbo’s death while expressing its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

“We will publish all official information as it becomes available. We express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the football player, as well as to all the fans of the team,” the statement added.

Odenigbo recently joined the club on loan from NAF Rockets FC, the Nigerian National League side, at the end of last season before making the switch permanent for the 11-match-old 2021/22 season.

He featured for sixth-placed Vitebsk this season, assisting one goal in four appearances.