Community cries out over whereabouts of exhumed corpses

The people of Umuokwara Nwaneri of Isiozi aka in Njaba local government area of Imo State have expressed worries over the whereabouts of the exhumed corpses of two members of the community; Mrs. Esonma Anopuomee and her daugher-in-law, Margaret Anopuomee.

The deceased, who died in 2016 and 2017 respectively, were buried on September 4 following long years of land tussle between the Anopuomee and Augustine Nnanyereugo families.

The bodies were exhumed on September 24 by members of Nnanyerego family over claims that the land that they were buried belonged to them.

After exhuming the bodies, they dumped them at the village market square.

The action drew anger and rage from members of the community, who carried the bodies and deposited in the sitting room of the Nnanyereugos.

However, members of the community are now in a state of uncertainty over where the Nnanyereugo deposited the bodies as they have refused to disclose their whereabouts.

Leader of the community, Rev (Dr.) Richard Ikechukwu, told our correspondent in an interview on Friday that all efforts to locate the position of the exhumed bodies have been unsuccessful as the Nnanyereugo family had refused to yield grounds.

He said a meeting called by the elders of the community did not yield much fruit as the families have continued in their contestation over the rightful owner of the disputed piece of land.

Ikechukwu said: “As I am talking to you now, we don’t know where the two bodies are because angry youths removed them from the market square and dumped them in the living room of Mr. Nnanyereugo.

“We are meeting to resolve the issue. Right now, a meeting has been slated for this weekend and it is after the meeting that I can speak authoritatively on what action the community intends to take on the burning issue.”