Police confirm 18 corpses afloat Amansea River

A spokesperson for the Anambra Police Command, Emeka Chukwuemeka, has confirmed that 18 bodies were removed from the Ezu River of Amansea in Anambra State by on Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that members of the Amansea community, near Awka, had woken up Saturday morning to discover 15 corpses afloat the river bordering Anambra and Enugu states.

Police Spokesman Chukwuemeka, who made the confirmation to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka, said specifically that “as at Sunday, 18 bodies were found as of the time of evacuation”.

He said that investigation was ongoing, even as Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State has offered to pay N5 million as reward to anyone with useful information leading to the source of the unidentified corpses discovered floating on the Ezu River on Saturday.

Obi visited the Ezu River in Amansea, a border town with Enugu State, the scene where the corpses were still floating on Sunday.

He described the discovery as “mindless killing” and dumping of the corpses as “barbaric and shocking.”

“What happened here is unacceptable in any decent society. Human life and blood is sacred and all of us must respect the sanctity of human life,” Obi said.

Obi assured that Anambra and Enugu state governments would have no stone unturned to get to the root of the matter, irrespective of whom the victims were.

The governor said that human life was sacred and people should respect the sanctity of human life.

He said that such barbaric act should be condemned in a decent society at this time and age.

Obi directed the police to commence immediate recovering and evacuation of the bodies while the joint investigation by the police in Anambra and Enugu State commands had commenced.

The governor assured that the two state governments had considered arrangement to provide alternative source of regular water supply.

Obi, who was accompanied by the State Police Commissioner, Mr Bala Nassarawa and other top government officials, urged the people to remain calm as the state governments were on top of the situation.