The Anambra Police Command on Monday denied the claim that the bodies recovered at Ezu River were those of MASSOB members allegedly arrested and killed by its officers.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ballah Nasarawa, made the denial at a news conference in Awka on Monday.
Nasarawa was reacting to media reports credited to MASSOB accusing the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the command of killing and dumping its members into the river.
Nineteen bodies were on Jan. 19, recovered from the river in Amansea, Anambra’s community with EnuguState.
Three of the corpses were deposited at Amaku GeneralHospital morgue for autopsy on Jan. 28.
The commissioner wondered why it took MASSOB members three weeks after to go and identify the bodies, describing the media report as “malicious and unfounded allegation”.
“I am confident that they are making this allegation because the command has made it impossible for them to continue to commit atrocities against the peace loving people of this state.
“To put the records straight, all suspected criminals arrested under the guise of MASSOB were duly charged to courts for prosecution.
“As of now, many have been remanded in prison custody facing trial, but at no time did my command arrest persons bearing the names mentioned in the publication,” the police boss said.
Nasarawa, who stressed that MASSOB had been proscribed by the government, further warned that any person hiding under the canopy or pretext of MASSOB or any illegal organisation would be arrested and prosecuted.
“I will not fold my arms as the commissioner of police and allow criminal elements under whatever guise to unleash terror on innocent citizens.
“I am unshaken by this spurious allegation and my fight against all forms of crime and criminality is total and non-negotiable,” he said.
The commissioner said the command abhorred extra-judicial killings and could not be part of such.
He explained that investigation into the mystery of the 19 bodies was ongoing, saying that the command would make it public when it received official report of the pathologists handling the autopsy.