Enugu police deny dumping of 50 corpses

ENUGU State Police Command has denied reports that it dumped the corpses of 50 young men at

the mortuary of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu.

  The National Human Rights Commission had recently, in Abuja, alleged that 50 corpses, with red marks, were dumped by the police in the said morgue.

  The commission disclosed that the corpses were discovered in the course of investigations into the alleged extra-judicial killing of one Chukwuma Ihezie by operatives of the command's Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

  According to the NHRC, the 50 corpses were discovered in the same mortuary where Ihezie's body was deposited.

  The NHRC therefore asked the Chief Judge of Enugu State to conduct a coroner's inquest into the cause of Ihezie's death, and also investigate the circumstances that led to the alleged dumping of the 50 corpses at the UNTH Mortuary.

  The NHRC said the investigations would determine whether the killings were extra-judicial, noting that “extra-judicial execution is a violation of right to life contrary to Section 33 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, (as amended); Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”.

  But the command's spokesman, Amaraizu, said it was improper to suggest that the police were guilty of extra-judicial killing.

  Speaking to our correspondent on the telephone, Amaraizu said, “We have to look at the records, because every corpse that is brought to the mortuary is accounted for ...records are kept. Every other thing can change, but the records cannot change

  “The records will be able to show who brought the corpses, and the cause of death.

  “It could be accident or any other matter, but it is not enough to suspect and accuse the police of extra-judicial killings.