Natives and residents of Amansea in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State living close to the Ezu Rivernear Ugwuoba woke up this morning to the pungent smell of decomposing flesh. They were soon to discover to their utmost horror that the smell was coming from dozens of rotting human corpses floating along the Ezu River which flows from Agbogugu in Enugu State all the way to the River Niger.

The corpses believed to be anywhere between 14 and 50 were found to be in varying degrees of decomposition, with some even showing dried bones. It was also discovered that the bodies were all male but curiously all appeared to have wounds suspected to be caused by bullets. They were floating all over the river; some in the centre; others clustered along the far bank.

These discoveries are now posing serious questions as to where the corpses are coming from, who they were and who killed them.

Since they were discovered today which means they should still be fresh, why then are they decomposed and smelling?

If they had been dumped there long ago, why didn’t the villagers who daily visit the river discover them earlier?

If they were dumped last night why are some of the corpses already showing dried bones?

These are some of the posers begging for answers by all those who visited the scene to behold the horrible sight.

Mrs. Azuka Enemuo, Anambra State Commissioner for Local Government who stood in for the governor, Peter Obi, who was away overseas on state business, expressed horror at what she saw.

She however said it was too early to make government’s position known until the governor returned to assess the situation and confer with security agencies, even as she thought the corpses could have been washed down to the border town from neighbouring Enugu State where the source of the river emanates from.

She said she had alerted the Enugu State Government on the situation so that it could help trace the source of the bodies, just as she announced that Gov. Obi had cut short his business trip abroad to hurry back to investigate the matter.

The traditional ruler of Amansea, Igwe Kenneth Okonkwo, confirmed to newsmen that the corpses were only discovered this morning and noted they had not heard any gun shots in the night.

But apart from the government’s initial position is the general suspicion that the corpses may be those of armed robbers killed and dumped by the anti-robbery squad of the police who are known to do that. But the question now is which police did this one; Anambra’s or Enugu’s?

This is part of jig-saw expected to be solved in the days ahead.

•Photo: Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State.