Residents of Amansea community in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State awoke to the shocking sight of 30 dead bodies, all men, floating in the Anambra River.
The bodies were already decomposing and giving off a stench that enveloped the entire neighbourhood. No one had any idea of how the bodies got there, who killed them or identify them.
The Anambra River draws its source from at Agba Ogwudu, a boundary town between Enugu and Anambra States.
The community residents were seen in groups discussing the development in hushed tones. Though Governor Peter Obi was out of town, government sources said he has been notified and was the monitoring the situation through his commissioners and local government officials.
The traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Kenneth Okonkwo, was speechless as he said the development was a mystery to everybody, even as the water which serves five communities: Amansea, Ebenebe, Ugbenu, Ugbene and Oba-Ofemili has now been polluted by the dead bodies.
The state government delegation sent to assess the situation was led by the Commissioner for Local Government, Lady Azuka Ememo and the state chairman of Local Government Chairmen, Mr Dazza Udozor.
Ememo, who described what she saw as terrible and unfortunate, said she had counted 14 bodies and feared there could be more as they were still floating down the Anambra River.
“When we were informed, we also informed the security agencies as expected and we believe that they will carry out investigations that will tell us what transpired.
“Also, we have contacted our neighbour state, Enugu, because this is a waste of human lives. We cannot fold our hands claiming nothing can be done.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Emeka Chukwuemeka has said that the Command has pledged to unravel the mystery.
Over 60 policemen in 3 patrol vehicles were seen around the area, trying to solve the mysterious event. The policemen came in patrol vehicles with registration Number NPF 117 C, with inscription Anambra Cobra Squad B Division and NPF 2347 C Enugu State Anti Robbery Squad.
Bala Nassarawa and Musa Daudu, the police commissioners of Anambra and Enugu States respectively, both were of the view that the bodies were not the result of a communal clash, even as they said that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.
Already, a crack team of investigators has been assembled to investigate the case and get to its root cause.