*Are They Victims Of Unlawful Killings From Security Operations? Amnesty Asks
*Warns Against Removing Bodies As Victims May Be Evidence For Any Ongoing Investigation
*Calls On State Govt To Urgently Intervene And Open Up On Findings
Fresh tension is gripping Imo State, South-East Nigeria, after Amnesty International raised the alarm over reports of hundreds of unidentified bodies allegedly being moved at night from mortuaries in Imo State to unknown destinations.
According to the global human rights watchdog, in a statement today (Saturday, 22 August), the bodies were reportedly being moved from health facilities such as Ngor Okpala General Hospital, in Owerri, the state capital, while more bodies had allegedly been seen at Mbieri General Hospital.
In Nigeria, most General Hospitals are taxpayer-funded, run by the different subnational governments.
Amnesty International said it had obtained horrific videos showing what appeared to be coordinated efforts to move large numbers of bodies at night.
Majority of the bodies seen in the videos were already at skeletal stages and were reportedly being moved in large numbers, it stated.
Amnesty International urged the Imo State Government and other relevant authorities to immediately establish the identities of all the bodies, determine their causes of death and provide a clear account of when, where and how the deceased came to be in the mortuaries.
Amnesty International said the immediate priority should be to account for every corpse, establish identities and causes of death, protect evidence and provide affected families with answers and justice.
Furthermore, it demanded an explanation of where the bodies were being taken and called for all mortuary records, medical records, bodies and other relevant evidence to be preserved to prevent interference with any investigation.
Amnesty expressed concern over allegations that some of the deceased could have been victims of unlawful killings during security operations in the State.
Such allegations, it said, must be subjected to prompt, independent and impartial investigation.
The human rights body demanded that the bodies be properly identified and subjected to appropriate forensic examinations, including autopsies, where necessary, to establish the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
It stressed that families must be promptly informed and given accurate information concerning their relatives who may have died or disappeared.
Apparently smelling a rat, Amnesty strictly warned against any attempt to conceal, destroy, dispose of or otherwise interfere with bodies or evidence that could assist in determining the identities and circumstances of the deaths.
“Anyone suspected of criminal responsibility for unlawful killings or other human rights violations must be investigated and, where there is sufficient admissible evidence, prosecuted in fair proceedings,” the organisation said.
Amnesty International maintained that families of those who died or disappeared have a fundamental right to know what happened to their loved ones.
