There are strong indications that the corpses dumped inside Ezu River in Amansea, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, were extra-judicially murdered, ThisDay has reported.

This was contained in a report by the Senate Joint Committee on Police Affairs, National Security and Intelligence, which was saddled with the responsibility of uncovering the mystery surrounding the  floated bodies found in Ezu River.

The committee gave a graphic picture of how the able-bodied young men met their untimely death.

The committee chaired by Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu and Senator Mohammed Magoro, presented shocking autopsy reports of the bodies.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that snippets from the autopsy report on the  corpses indicate that the deceased were extra-judicially murdered.

It was gathered that the joint committee revealed that instead of 30, the victims of the incident were 19.

According to the autopsy reports, 15 out of 19 bodies were seen, while six bodies had evidence of gunshots.

It was also gathered that the weapon used for all the shot victims was one type-long range rifle, and that all the victims dressed alike wearing boxers or pants.

Suspected cause of death, the reports said, was an hemorrhage resulting from unattended gunshots.

Though the committee submitted a detailed report, it could not establish, who did the killings.

The newspaper checks furthered revealed that the pathologists, who carried out the autopsy, discovered some bullet wounds, bruises and other signs that the suspects did not die of natural causes.

The sources said although the results of the autopsy were scanty, it would be correct to assume that those whose corpses were thrown into the river had been in detention or custody.

Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Lawrence Ikeakor, had said government made “startling discoveries” from the corpses of three of the victims, whose bodies were initially exhumed, prompting it to order further investigations on the remaining bodies.

However, tongues were wagging Tuesday night that some of those killed were suspected kidnap or armed robbery suspects in the custody of security agencies in the state.

Recalled that decomposing bodies without any noticeable body mutilations or injuries were found in January at Ezu River.

Eyewitnesses had told journalists that the bodies were discovered in the early hours of the morning, when they went to fetch water.

The river is the only source of water for the five communities of Amansea, Ebenebe, Ugbenu, Ugbene and Oba-Ofemili, while the development caused a lot of discomfort to the people.

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