DPO, market chairman deposit corpse of slum died suspected beggar in Onitsha morgue

DPO, market chairman deposit corpse of slum died suspected beggar in Onitsha morgue 

By Chinwe Nwacha, Onitsha 

Traders at Haruna street market, Onitsha, Anambra  State, have lauded the market chairman, Chief Emmanuel Idoko and the Onitsha Main market Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Mrs. Joy Ikpeama, for  their prompt action in depositing the corpse of a suspected beggar who slumped and died in their market, at St. Charles Borromeo hospital morgue in Onitsha.

According to them, if not for the immediate action of the duo, the corpse would have decayed and remained there for days which may result in epidemic spread and affect those trading in the market.

It was gathered that on the fateful day, at about 5.00pm, the suspected beggar said to be familiar within the market terrain, who suffered from swelled stomach, slumped and died while begging with a piece of bread and #200 note on his hand.

Reacting when contacted, the market chairman, Idoko, said, "Somebody called me on phone and told me that a man has just slumped and died in the market and that he looked like a beggar. I immediately rushed to the scene and called the DPO of Onitsha Main market because it is within her domain and she sent her men who came immediately and we joined the police team in evacuating the corpse to St. Charles Boromeo hospital morgue.

"The identity of the deceased is yet to be known and anybody who knows the deceased should kindly reach the DPO for further action and we thank her for her prompt action to remove the corpse that would have caused us more hardship," he stated.

A trader who simply identified herself as Madam Rose, disclosed that, "He was a beggar in the market and some of us knew him and occasionally dashed him gifts, mostly food items. I think he was sick because he had swelled stomach for long," she disclosed.

Another trader who pleaded anonymity added that, "We are just lucky that the market chairman and DPO are up and doing if not the next one week the corpse of the beggar will remain decayed here in the market and nobody will remove it," he affirmed.

Pic shows the dead suspected beggar.