ALECTURER at Eden University who was dismissed for allegedly swindling 88 students out of over K1.2 million in tuition fees has died in suspicious circumstances. Edrick Singogo, 41, who was head of the nursing department, is alleged to have been collecting tuition fees from students between January and March this year.

This was under the pretext that he would deposit the money in the university’s account on behalf of the students, something he allegedly never did. According to police, Mr Singogo travelled to Livingstone to meet one of the people who owed him money and was booked at a lodge where he was found dead on Sunday morning. Eden University chief executive officer Kelvin Kaunda said in an interview yesterday that Mr Singogo allegedly agreed with students to be depositing tuition fees in his personal account.

Mr Kaunda said Mr Singogo failed to account for the money and is suspected to have committed suicide due to pressure. “As a school, we were not part of the process, so the students will have to pay the money,” he said. He said Mr Singogo was suspended after the matter was reported to the university management, which later relieved him of his duties. And Eden University public relations manager Emma Banda said in a statement that the institution heard about the demise of Mr Singogo with shock.

“What is more painful and regrettable is that Mr Singogo, who was the former head of the nursing department in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, allegedly took his own life on Sunday, May 10, 2020. “Mr Singogo was involved in fraudulent activities amounting to K1.2 million involving 88 students in the department he was heading,” she said. Ms Banda said investigations established that Mr Singogo encouraged students to pay tuition fees through his personal account instead of the university’s account.