Government of Abia State has reacted to claims of the Northern community regarding the 70 corpses recovered in the forest around the Lokpanta Cattle Market in the Umunneochi Local Government Area of the state.
Raye24reporters recalls that the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, during the second edition of his monthly media chat in Umuahia last Sunday, disclosed that security agents uncovered 70 decomposing corpses and numerous skeletons during a raid of the forest around the cattle market.
The Governor explained that the latest development informed the decision by his administration to convert the market from a weekly market to a daily market to ensure the security of lives.
However, the leaders of the northern community in the market denied the report of corpse discovery, stressing the Governor’s move was a ploy to eject them from the market.
In response, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kazie Uko, in an interview with PUNCH, said details of the recovered corpses are with security agents.
According to him, security men are in a position to tell the location of the corpses.
He said, “What he (Otti) said was based on the report given to him by the security men.
“It is the security men who will tell where the corpses are. It is a security matter, and they didn’t package them to come and give to the Governor.
“The people did their operations, and they reported to the Governor their findings. It is a security matter.”
On whether the corpses would be given a mass burial or displayed for possible identification by relations, Uko added, “By the time the security agencies finish their investigation, they will know what they want to do.”
