There was panic around the construction site of the “Light of the Nation” tower in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, on Saturday, when a fresh female corpse was found by the workers.
The construction of the tower, located not far away from the Ekwulobia bridge, aims to carry the wording, “Light of the Nation,” which is the emblem of Anambra State and to beautify the environs.
No one could ascertain the exact date and why the corpse was buried, but our correspondent gathered that it was unearthed by the construction workers during their activities.
The construction of the Ekwulobia bridge and road dualisation are parts of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s initiative of building a smart mega city in Anambra.
A source in the area, who identified himself as Uche said, “The unearthed corpse which appeared to be recently buried, caused panic in the area when it was discovered as residents and a large crowd trooped to the scene to see if it’s someone they could identify.
“The incident raised questions about the identity of the victim and the circumstances surrounding her death. Although some people who recognised the corpse said the husband of the woman passed away about five years ago.
“Within minutes, a large crowd had gathered at the scene, with many expressing shock and curiosity.”
Further enquiries showed that community leaders in the area had been informed, and a report had likely been filed at the police.
However, every attempt to get the reactions of the construction workers proved abortive as they declined to comment on the development.
But as of Sunday when our correspondent visited the scene, a large crowd was still hanging around the scene of the discovery.
When contacted, the state Commissioner for Environment, Felix Odumegwu, directed our correspondent to the Chairman of Aguata Local Government Area, Dr Chibueze Ofobuike.
And when also contacted, he simply said, “Yes. The commissioner has just informed us and our men are being mobilised to the scene to ascertain the development and possible evacuation of the corpse.”
The state police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, did not respond to enquiries as of the time of filing this report.