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Amnesty International has called on the Imo State Government to urgently account for hundreds of unidentified bodies allegedly being moved from mortuaries across the state to unknown destinations.
In a statement released Saturday, the rights group said it was deeply concerned by reports alleging that hundreds of unidentified bodies were being moved from mortuaries in Imo State, including Ngor Okpala General Hospital, to unknown destinations.
It added that bodies have also reportedly been seen at Mbieri General Hospital.
Amnesty International said it had obtained horrifying videos showing “coordinated stages of moving the dead bodies at night.”
The group said the majority of the bodies are “at skeletal level and in large numbers.”
Amnesty International urged the Imo State Government and relevant authorities to “immediately account for all the bodies, establish their identities and causes of death, and explain when, where and how they came to be in the mortuaries and where they are now being taken.”
The organization demanded that “all bodies, mortuary records, medical records and other relevant evidence must be preserved to prevent interference with any investigation.”
It further called for a “prompt, independent and impartial” investigation into allegations that “some of the deceased may have been victims of unlawful killings during security operations in Imo State.”
Amnesty said authorities must ensure bodies are “properly identified and subjected to appropriate forensic examinations, including autopsies where necessary,” and that families are “promptly informed and given information about their relatives.”
“No body or evidence should be concealed, destroyed, disposed of or otherwise interfered with,” the statement reads in part.
It also said anyone suspected of criminal responsibility for “unlawful killings or other human rights violations must be investigated and, where there is sufficient admissible evidence, prosecuted in fair proceedings.”
“The families of those who died or disappeared have a right to know what happened to their loved ones. The authorities must act urgently to establish the truth, preserve evidence and ensure justice and accountability,” Amnesty International stated.
