The Rivers State Police Command has faulted the claim that the abandoned Elele-Alimini General Hospital, belonging to the state government, has been converted to a mortuary used by kidnappers in keeping their dead victims.
Police said the facility belonged to the state government, although abandoned for over 10 years, noting that it was not used by criminals.
The Chairman of Emohua Local Government in Rivers, Chidi Lloyd, had said the council uncovered an illegal mortuary at the hospital where kidnappers abandoned their dead victims.
The Acting Public Relations Officer of the command, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, in a statement Port Harcourt on Saturday, said the mortuary was not used by kidnappers in keeping their dead victims.
Iringe-Koko noted that its investigation revealed that the mortuary was being operated by some contract staff members of the mortuary department of the hospital who were laid off by the government when the facility was closed.
She said, “Preliminary investigation revealed that a mortuary actually exists in the premises of General Hospital Elele Alimini, owned by the State Government, which has however been abandoned and now moribund following which the staff 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.
“Mr. Okachi Wali met at the premises is a casual staff of the mortuary who is still rendering his services.
“Suffice to say, the morgue is not being run by a kidnap syndicate as portrayed.”
The Command therefore calls on the good people of the State to go about their lawful duties and report any suspicious development to the authorities.”
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
