By Joseph Kanjo, Benin

Respondents at the area where Edo State Police Command was said to have bursted and uncovered a ritual den have differed from the police’s report.

The Police Command in a statement made available to newsmen late Wednesday night made known to the public that it men bursted a ritualist den and discovered mummified bodies numbering about twenty (20)

In the statement made available to newsmen at around 10:26 P.M on Wednesday night, August 17, the command’s Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu said “15 mummified male corpses, 3 mummified female corpses and 2 mummified children corpses were discovered at the scene,” by men of the command who invaded the area after credible information.

Iwegbu in the statement named suspects arrested at the shrine as: Chimaobi Okoewu and Oko Samuel ‘M’ both of Afikpo in Ebonyi and Gideon Sunday ‘M’ of Akwa-Ibom State, adding that others, while sighting the police escaped.

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The statement reads in part: “Following credible information at the Command’s disposal that some corpse were discovered in a building along Asoro slope off Ekenhua road, Uzebu quarters,Benin city. Operatives of the command immediately swung into action and mobilized to the scene.

“At the scene, 3 suspects, Chimaobi Okoewu ‘M’ and Oko Samuel ‘M’ both of Afikpo in Ebonyi and Gideon Sunday ‘M’ of Akwa-Ibom State were arrested while others fled. An intensive effort is ongoing to arrest the other fleeing suspects.”

Also addressing newsmen after a visit to the scene of the crime on Thursday, Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, who named owner of the morgue as Chukwu Otu said the man was on the run, adding that five shrines were found at the uncompleted building with stains of blood of animals such as dogs and chicken.

Nwabuzor, who said one of the suspects arrested for the crime confessed that Mr. Otu is a mortician with one of the private hospitals in Benin, however, argued that the place cannot be a morgue as speculated in some quarters. When asked if the bodies discovered had tags as speculated in some quarters, the PPRO admitted that the bodies were tagged as being done in morgue, insisting that the place is not a morgue because it is still under construction and has no modern facilities.

“The place cannot be a mortuary because the building is a fresh building which is under construction. This is because when the police visited the scene, we saw people working there; people fixing POP and other works still ongoing, so it cannot be a morgue,” he added.

He continued: “Other items discovered at the scene are five shrines. We had blood stain of animals such as fowl, dog in that place. Three persons who claimed to be working there were arrested. Just after the raid, a certain man came to the scene of the crime in the night and he was equally arrested.

“The owner of the place as we speak is on the run. His name is Chukwu Otu. Investigation is ongoing.”

But speaking during INFO DAILY visit to the scene of the crime which was already cordoned off with over 30 vigilantes securing the place, one of the casket-makers at the place who does not want his name mentioned, disagreed with the police’s claim. It is worth mentioning that the area already housed two morgues.

He said the uncompleted building is a new mortuary under construction, adding that the man is a mortician who relocated from First East Circular, Benin to the new site (Asoro Slope, Ekewan Road, Benin City), just as he added that bodies police discovered were relocated from First East Circular to the place.

The casket-maker said the man is known to be a traditionalist hence the shrines police claimed to have discovered from the scene (uncompleted building) are what he used for his traditional worship.

He said, “That place is a mortuary, no doubt. He is a well known and a strong traditionalist, I am just surprised how he brought his shrine to his morgue. He has four morgues in this town. He just relocated from First East Circular to here, Ekewan Road. So, that place is a morgue,” he added.

In what seems to be a corroboration to the casket-maker’s claim, a man who identified himself as Nappiar Osaro, who our correspondent incidently met at the scene of the crime, said he came to claim the corpse of his late mother just to discover the place had been labelled a ritual den.

According to him, his mother died in 2021 and the remains were deposited at the morgue. He added that the morgue was as at then located at First East Circular before it was relocated to the present site.

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He said he would have claimed his mother’s remains for burial but financial constraints made it take so long before coming this period just to hear a different story about the place. He added that, being ready for the burial, he had gone to the First East Circular to request for the remains of his late mother but he was told by people in the area (First East Circular) that the morgue had been relocated to Asoro Slope, hence he traced the place two days back but the remains were not released to him because as at that time he was not with the identification card the management of the morgue issued to him when he deposited body of his late mother. He said this made him to go back home while booking appointment for Thursday (today), but unfortunately the place has been in the public place for the another story entirely.

However, whether the morgue is a registered one is what could not be ascertained as at the time of this report.