• Police, Cemetery Secretary deny allegation
TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Rivers State government has stated that the rumour making the rounds that the body of the late Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Odiari Princewill, has been exhumed from the Port Harcourt cemetery was baseless and untrue.
State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, denied this yesterday, in a statement in Port Harcourt.
The state government maintained that grave where the deceased was interred was still intact as no one has tampered with it.
It advised relatives and friends of the deceased not to desecrate the grave, warning that severe punishment awaits defaulters.
“Government hereby warns families, friends and relations who may want to desecrate the grave of the deceased that the full weight of the law will be visited on them.
“Security agencies have, therefore, been placed on red alert to ensure that only authorized persons come near the cemetery.
“Any unauthorized person found around the cemetery will be arrested and prosecuted”, government warned.
Sunday Sun gathered that government’s reaction followed unconfirmed news that gunmen stormed the cemetery in Port Harcourt, in the early hours of yesterday, and exhumed by body of a late council boss.
Writers of report alleged that the was taken away by the unknown gunmen suspected to be natives of Buguma, his hometown.
Another side of the story said the deceased was exhumed the night he was buried. According to the report gathered, the late former chairman, being a recognised prince and chief, needed proper burial rites.
State Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, has debunked the allegation the Princewill’s corpse was exhumed.
Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DPO), said: “We are here this morning, specially to debunk the news making the rounds that the chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area, who was buried here, his body was exhumed by unknown gunmen, who shot sporadically and took away his corpse and coffin.
“We are here based on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Mukan, who asked me to personally come and address the press on this development.
“From all intents and purposes, this fake news is only intended to achieve a selfish aim; to blackmail the command and paint us (Police) in bad light and by extension, to cause unnecessary panic alarm in the state.
“So, that is why you have seen it yourself. The grave is there untampered. Nobody came here. The management of this cemetery also lent their voice to the fact that nobody invaded here, no shooting took place in this place; no third party came here for an unlawful purpose. That is why we are here to make an on the spot assessment of what is on ground over here.
“That is the late chief’s grave (pointing at the grave) not tampered. There was no third party interference. There are other graves around. The secretary of this cemetery is also here to talk to you. He has assured us that such thing will ever happen”, the PPRO stated.
Similarly, Secretary of Port Harcourt Cemetery, Tamunotoye John, has denied that unknown gunmen stormed the place and exhumed Princewill’s remains.
John stated: “This news about the exhumation of the body came to us as a surprise. When we heard it, we assumed it was a fake news. But, it became very viral and a worry to us.
“As soon as the body was buried, we casted the grave. We work here from morning till 6pm. When we leave here from that 6pm, we have our securityme on ground, though not armed.
“If anything of such happened, or perhaps gunmen came, they may definitely subdue whoever that is on ground. But, at least, we will get a message that such a thing happened.
“Because of the news making the rounds, we came as early as we couldn’t have the next day, and saw that the grave is intact.
“The only thing I have to say is that, may be there is plan for such; but, it has not been carried out yet. We ask for security to be beefed up here. Perhaps, they are planning and have not carried it out.
“If gunmen come here, we don’t know what to do because we don’t have arms. The security men don’t even have cutlass. They won’t be able to withstand armed men. So, we plead for security forces to beef up security around the premises, so that it doesn’t come to pass”, John appealed.