EZZU RIVER DEAD BODIES: SENATE KEEPS MUM ON PROBE REPORT

One year after the Senate mandated two of its committees to unravel
the circumstances surrounding the over 35 strange dead bodies found
floating on Ezzu River, Amansea, a town on the border between Anambra
and Enugu states, it is yet to release the probe report.
The unidentified dead bodies, mostly males, were discovered floating
on the river in the early hours of Saturday, January 19, 2013, by some
villagers of Amansea, in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra
State.
The situation generated panic across the state as people wondered
where the bodies could have come from, given that no community had
come up with claims of missing members.
Two weeks after the incident, precisely on January 31, 2013, the upper
legislative chamber, after an intense debate on a motion brought
sequel to the development, by Senator Andy Ubah, PDP, Anambra South,
mandated its Committees on Police Affairs as well as Security and
Intelligence, to immediately carry out a thorough investigation into
it and report the findings within two weeks.
The Senate had during the motion, entitled: "Strange Dead Bodies found
in Ezzu River of Anambra State," expressed concern that the inability
of the country to unearth the cause of the incidence could adversely
affect its reputation, hence its action.
The joint committee, headed by Senators Matthew Nwagu, PDP, Imo North
and Mohammed Magoro, PDP, Kebbi South respectively, which was mandated
to carry out an indebt investigation into the matter and report
findings to the Senate committee within two weeks, is yet to submit
report eleven months after.
Efforts by Vanguard to speak with the two committees' chairmen in
respect to their probe reports proved abortive, as they could neither
pick calls nor respond to short text messages made to their known
mobile telephone lines.
It will be recalled that the autopsy ordered by the governments of
Anambra and Enugu states yielded no report.
"I think the bigger problem is not what happened but, where did these
dead bodies come from?
"I think the river that is flowing, the dead bodies wouldn't have just
emerged from nowhere; they would have come from a certain place before
they got to where they were eventually found.
"So, it is a bit strange. Even if they were in a boat that capsized,
who are they? So, it is strange and we need to be very concerned about
it," David Mark had said.
"Unless we are able to say who these people are, I think there'd be
big problem for us in this country. And it is not just about security
agencies alone, I think every community in this country now is
involved," Senate President,