Buried six siblings to be exhumed as police autopsy disappears

Residents of Ekweumilli Community in Nnewi South Local Government Council Area of Anambra State have demanded that police should quickly provide autopsy results, so they would know the cause of the death of six children of same parents.

Facts emerged recently that the situation had also been compounded following the absence of police autopsy results six months after the incident. The police were said to have collected the samples of the diseased particulars before they were buried.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Assistant Superintendent of Police, Nkiru Nwode, said she was not in a position to give answers why the autopsy results were not ready.

But feeler, received by members of the community was that the autopsy results had allegedly disappeared from police custody.

On July 16, 2016, Ekwulimili was plunged into mourning after six children of the same parents died in less than an hour.

The six siblings; Chukwuebuka 17, Chinemerem 15, Afomachukwu 13, Chekwubechukwu 11, Onyekachukwu nine and Chukwuziterem, six, had returned  from school on the fateful day and after eating their lunch of a flour meal, developed stomach upset. They died within minutes; one after the other.

This tragic incident had several interpretations which compelled the community, the police and Anambra State Government to embark on different voyages to unravel the circumstances that led to the death of the children.

The President General of the community, Chief Ugochukwu Eweluaku, said Ekwulumilli is a peaceful town and void of crime.

Eweluaku said that the community was still awaiting the result of the autopsy conducted on the children. He said that nobody would rest until the cause of death was known and made public.

His words: “We wouldn’t mind to exhume the remains to conduct a fresh one if the Homicide Squad has misplaced the initial autopsy results as we heard.”

The chairman of the Elders’ Forum, Chief Patrick Dim Anyichie, said that normalcy was gradually returning to the community.

He noted that such horrible incident had never happened in the history of the town.

Anyichie said:  “What happened in our community was tragic, but we cannot question God. Nobody is happy. Nothing is hidden under the sun.”

Chief Ebenezer Okolie, secretary of the Elders Forum, described the death as an unfortunate incident.

Okolie said: “As human beings, we’re to express our feelings when such a mysterious thing happens. The only thing we can do now is to pray for the repose of our children because we cannot take revenge. However, the community is still awaiting the results of the autopsy.”

Oramulu further said: “I want to use this opportunity to call on the Governor of Anambra State, to urge the authorities of the police command to release the result; to at least douse the tension and restore the confidence our youths reposed on elders of the community.”

A youth, who did not disclose his name, said the community will hold a general meeting after the Christmas, where other issues, including that of the deceased children would be ironed out.

A pastor, who gave his name simply as Simeon, described the death of the kids as mysterious.

Simeon said:  “I have lived in this area for 15 years, but I have never heard such a story.  What happened to the children might be a serious spiritual attack.  Some flour meals, bought in the market are sometimes dangerous to health. Some of them are preserved for several years with dangerous chemicals, which is why the government should facilitate the autopsy results.”