The Bayelsa State Police Command has said that there was a foiled attempt to steal the corpse of the 27-year-old suspect, Goodluck Oviekeme by a politician and some youths from the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre in Yenegoa, Daily Post is reporting.
Oviekeme was arrested on Tuesday alongside eight others over an alleged attack on a policeman and theft of his service rifle. He was said to have reportedly died of a strange ailment at the police clinic while he was being treated.
Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the incident. He added that the attempt was foiled by vigilant men on duty.
According to him, “At about midnight on Saturday, there was an attempt to steal the corpse of the deceased but it was foiled by vigilant security men”.
The reasons for the attempt to steal the corpse which was deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre by the police is still unknown.
It was gathered that at about 12 am, mortuary attendants at the Federal Medical Center alerted men of the Operation Puff Adder and operatives of the Anti-cultism squad of the police on the strange request of some youths, including a State House of Assembly member, for the release of the corpse.
The strange men arrived at the hospital morgue in a Toyota Prado jeep numbered PF 8025 C at about 12 am and were accosted by men of the Operation Puff Adder, Operatives of the anti-cultism squad and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations.
A senior police source added that four unidentified youths were seen in the vehicle led by one ACP Emmanuel Asufi Idowu and a member of the State House Assembly (names withheld).
The source added that “We got information that a politician with four boys was trying to retrieve the corpse. When the men of Operation Puff Adder arrived in the company of another senior police officer, ACP, Operation, their plans were shattered as they could not retrieve the corpse”.
“When they were asked what they were doing at the morgue at an unholy hour, they claimed they were at the medical centre to pay the mortuary bill for the deceased. He was then asked if he was the one that dropped the corpse? He said No. And they drove out of the FMC premises”.
The ACP Operations has however commended the staff of FMC for their vigilance and reinforced the order of the State Commissioner of Police, Echeng E. Echeng to protect the corpse and conduct an autopsy to unravel the cause of the death of the suspect.
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