The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the February 25, 2023 Presidential Election in Nigeria, Peter Obi, has disclosed that the Nigerian Government asked his administration to hands off matters pertaining to 35 decomposing bodies that were found floating in Ezzu River in Anambra River in 2013.
The Daily Crucible reports that the Nigerian Government in place at the time was that of the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Obi who was Governor of Anambra State between 2007 and 2014 on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) said he was out of the State at the time with the then President Jonathan when the news of the floating corpses in Ezzu River hit him and he had to rush back.
He spoke via a statement on the heels of Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, disclosing recently that over 80 decomposing corpses, including 20 headless ones, as well as countless skeletons were uncovered by security agents during a raid on the forest around the Lokpanta Cattle Market in the Umunneochi axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
Otti’s revelation came on Sunday during the second edition of his monthly media chat in Umuahia, the state capital.
However, in a statement via X on Thursday, Obi recalled how he faced a similar situation in Anambra State and commended Otti for taking a bold step against insecurity in Abia.
He noted that the security of lives and property should be the primary responsibility of any government.
He said, “I read the bone-chilling story coming out of Abia State, where over 80 bodies were reportedly recovered around the cattle market, with about 20 headless decomposing bodies. This level of barbarism and extremely cruel acts only reflects how insecure our environment has been.
“It unearths how insecurity has continued to ravage many parts of the country, taking innocent lives and killing the economy. I thank the Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, for taking such a bold step against insecurity in the State. This is highly emulatable.
“I recall facing a similar situation in 2013 as the Governor of Anambra State. I was accompanying President Goodluck Jonathan to an official engagement outside the country when I received the sad report of about 35 decomposing bodies floating on Ezu River, Anambra.
“I had to leave everything to rush back to the State to attend to the situation and ensure that order was restored in the vicinity. Investigation was immediately commenced, with autopsies conducted, before the Federal Government took over the process and asked the State Government to hands off.
“Security of lives and property remains the primary duty of any government and key to any meaningful development we hope to experience as a nation. We must, therefore, prioritise it. I encourage governments at all levels to make more efforts in combating insecurity in the nation.”
