Passersby on Aba-Owerri Road, Abia State, have found an unidentified body of a man, believed to be in his 50s, that was decomposing in a wheelbarrow. He was supposedly napping in the barrow. The discovery has prompted a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The body was found at Atuma House, opposite St. Paul’s Church at 104 Aba-Owerri Road, Umungasi. By the time of discovery, the remains, according to eyewitnesses, had begun to decompose.
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Tochukwu Ogbuagu, who shared photographs of the deceased along with a police letter authorising the evacuation of the corpse, reported the incident on Facebook on Thursday. While social media reports suggested the man may have died while resting after a day’s work, authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of death.
Official Police Action
A letter from the Abayi Police Division to the Environmental Health Department of the Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Council confirmed the incident. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the Abayi Police Division, Okereke Amos, requested an urgent evacuation, stating that the corpse posed a significant public health hazard.
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Acting on the directive, health officials, accompanied by officers from the Abayi Police Division, evacuated the remains to the Abia State University Teaching Hospital at Ahiaba Umueze.
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Investigation Underway
The police spokesperson in Abia, Maureen Chinaka, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday. Ms Chinaka stated that an investigation is now underway to determine the identity of the deceased and the circumstances surrounding his death.
The Environmental Health Services Department of the Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area has appealed to the public for assistance in identifying the man.
