Police investigate ‘disappearance’ of corpse from mortuary in P/Harcourt

The deceased’s burial posterOkafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

The Rivers state police command says its investigating the circumstances that led to the disappearance of a corpse from a mortuary located in Kpaima area of Port Harcourt.

However, investigations by this magazine revealed that the disappearance was due to struggle over who should bury the deceased between the two factions of the family.

The Rivers State Command Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, told our correspondent that the case of the missing corpse which was reported at the state Criminal Investigation Department, CID and is already being investigated.

He urged the complainants and the accused to maintain peace and order until the matter is resolved.

It was gathered that one Mr. Charles Inko-Tariah, reported that the corpse of one Late Mrs Ineibi Inko-Tariah, his step mother was missing at Kpaima mortuary where he deposited the body over the weekend.

The late Mrs. Ineibi Inko-Tariah was billed to be buried last Saturday after all other funeral ceremonies, including the wake keep and the service of songs have been done earlier as indicated in the burial programme.

But it was gathered that on getting to the mortuary to take the body of the deceased, Charles was told that his sister had earlier come to pay and collect the corpse.

Further investigations by our correspondent at the Kpaima mortuary revealed that the corpse was signed out by Late Mrs. Inedi’s sister and another man who disguised himself as Charles Inko-Tariah.

The manager of Kpaima morgue (name with-held) insisted that the morgue had acted professionally as the person with the tally and document was issued with the corpse after dues and payment was settled.

He urged the relations of the deceased to take their family issues outside his business.

The sister to late Madam Ineibi Inko-Tariah could not be reached for her version of the story even as the Police issued arrest warrant to get them to sign for the peace resolution but was rebuffed.

The late Inedi’s sister and her faction, according to information, had fixed another burial for the deceased for 27 July.

Sequel to the above, relations who had gathered in Buguma Asari-Toru local Government in Rivers State for the arrival of the corpse of the late Mrs. Inedi’s burial were full of surprises over the drama being played out.

They however condemned the incident and sued for peace to allow the dead to be buried peacefully while talks can continue to settle family issues that are yet to be resolved.