DPO, market chairman react, as suspected beggar slumps, dies in Onitsha market

By Cyprian Ebele, Onitsha

The Onitsha Main market chairman, Emmanuel Idoko and the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in the area, Mrs. Joy Ikpeama have reacted to the slumping of a suspected beggar whose name is yet to be identified at the time filing this report, and later died inside the market.

It was gathered that the market chainman, Idoko and the DPO, Ikpeama responded swiftly and evacuated the corpse of the suspected beggar and deposited it at St. Charles Borromeo hospital morgue in Onitsha.

Meanwhile, traders at the Haruna street market, Onitsha, Anambra State, have lauded the action of the DPO and the market chairman, Idoko for their prompt response that averted decay of the remains of the suspected beggar.

According to them, if not for the immediate action of the duo, the corpse would have decayed and remained there for days and would have resulted to a serious epidemic in the market.

It was gathered that the suspected beggar before his death suffered from swelled stomach, later slumped and died, while begging with a piece of bread and #200 note on his hand.

Reacting to the incident, 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