3 bloated bodies recovered in Kirikiri carnal

The sight of dead bodies, floating on the Kirikiri canal, Apapa, Lagos, has assumed a disturbing phenomenon, with three bodies — two males and a female recovered within three days.

These bloated bodies which usually float towards the shore of Mile-2, emit distinct odours.

Last year, over nine bloated bodies in their decomposing states were found in the same canal, some with injuries.

Though details of the exact circumstances that led to the ugly sights could not be ascertained, but residents within Kirikiri area said that they could have been victims of robbery attacks pushed into the canal from the Kirikiri, Mile-2 and Festac end, for putting up resistance.

Others were of the view that some of them could have been drunk and mistakenly plunged into the canal, or that the male corpses  in particular, could have been robbers who were caught, beaten and thrown into the canal.

More worrisome is the fact that none of the corpses had been identified by residents in that axis 

Last week Tuesday, members of staff of the Lagos State Ministry of Health/Occupational Health and Safety Services came in a white ambulance with number plate KTU 514 ER, to evacuate two corpses-a male and a female-after they were alerted.

Barely two days later, they returned to evacuate another male bloated corpse.

One of the staff, Mr. Christopher Okwu,  confirmed to have evacuated the bodies on two occasions, within three days.

 Another member of staff, Eniola Yusuf, said the recovered corpses were  in their decomposing states and as such, could not be identified.

 He said: “I cannot recall the number of dead bodies we found last year. However, in the month of December 2022, alone,  we have evacuated three bodies within the space of three days.

“ Whenever  we evacuate the bodies ,an autopsy is not carried out on them  because the bodies are  decayed.”

 A resident of the area lamented that  “we have seen multiple dead bodies floating here . When such happens, we would immediately contact the Ministry of Health to evacuate them so  that it doesn't get decayed, because when it starts decaying, nobody can come into our area. And the ministry has always responded without delay.

 “We  noticed an injury on one side of  the last  body evacuated .The injury showed that he had been stabbed and maybe thrown into the water.”

 Police sources at Kirikiri division said that the division had been alerted to the incident.

Culled from Vanguard