By: Emmanuel Nlewedum
The Rivers State House of Assembly has summoned the state Acting Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), DSP. Grace Iringe-Koko and the Chairman of Emohua local government area, Dr. Chidi Lloyd over their positions on the alleged illegal mortuary being run by kidnappers inside the Elele-Alimini General Hospital.
The invitation followed a motion moved by the member representing Emohua Constituency in the house, Sam Oge.
Leader of the Assembly, Martin Amaewhule while seconding the motion, demanded that both parties appear before the house to give clearer explanation on the incident.
He said it has not come to the notice of the assembly that the Elele-Alimini General Hospital is no longer functional as reported.
Speaker of the House, Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani however, directed that the council chairman and the PPRO appear before the house.
PHSpectator reports that Emohua Council Chairman, Chidi Lloyd had during his visit to Elele-Alimini General Hospital last week claimed to have intercepted an illegal mortuary in one of the buildings in the hospital, where kidnappers deposit victims who died in their custody through torture, gunshots and hunger.
Lloyd who described the incident as atrocious, wondered why the leadership of Elele-Alimini allowed such business in the community, alleging that such evil activity cannot be going on without the involvement of some stakeholders in the community.
According to reports, over twenty decomposing bodies were found in the mortuary.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command had dismissed reports that the abandoned government general hospital was being used as an illegal mortuary by kidnappers.
Spokesperson of the command, DSP Grace Iringe-Koko in a statement said the general hospital’s mortuary is not a kidnapped victims’ den.
She added that the morgue at the hospital was not being run by a kidnap syndicate as portrayed.
According to her, “Preliminary investigation revealed that a mortuary actually exists in the premises of the General Hospital in Elele Alimini, owned by the State Government, which has however been abandoned and now moribund following which the staffers were all laid off over ten years ago.
“However, some mortuary attendants decided to stay back to attend to the corpses that were in the morgue to avoid an epidemic outbreak. The morgue is not being run by a kidnap syndicate as portrayed”, she said.
