Dead bodies controversy: Cattle dealers deny knowledge of such, seek audience with governor Otti

Stephanie Clement

As the viral comments credited to governor Alex Otti of Abia state continues to generate reactions and controversy, traders and residents of Umuchieze cattle market in Lokpanta, Umunneochi Local government area of Abia state have denied ever beholding such a sight within the market.

Governor Alex Otti had on Monday alleged that the government discovered some decomposing and headless bodies “somewhere around Umunneochi” during a press conference in Umuahia.

He had said the government would do anything within its powers to secure the state which was why it installed some gadgets that helped detect Umunneochi as a flash point.

This was why the government also pronounced the market non residential henceforth and a day market.

However this order has met some resistance by the cattle dealers and other residents of the market who worry about their new residence if they must leave .

Former secretary of the cattle traders, Lokpanta Alhaji Buba Abdulahi said they heard about the corpses for the first time in the news and wondered why the government did not get them involved to convince them.

He said the community was prepared to support the government bring security and peace to the market but appealed that they should be left to continue to reside in the market where they have made home.

According to Abdulahi, it will be a lot of risk for them to move in with the Umunneochi community with cash since their trade is done in cash .

He like others said they didn’t mind if the government decided to make it a general market and even build some basic infrastructure for them in the market.

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