Eight corpses of farmers allegedly killed by suspected herdsmen at Uwheru in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, last Friday have been exhumed for autopsy.

The exercise was supervised by a search team made up of police personnel and representatives of the Community.

It was learnt that two of the corpses were exhumed on Sunday, while six others were exhumed Monday afternoon.

The exhumation of the victims’ corpses came as the Community also confirmed reports that two others killed were burnt to ashes by the herdsmen.

One of those burnt beyond recognition, identified as Itoje Dennis from Otor-Iyede in Isoko North local government area of Delta State, had since been taken to his hometown for burial.

President-General of the the community, Cassidy Akpedafe, and the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Hafiz Inuwa, had Sunday, disagreed over the number of casualties recorded duri the attacks.

“If If there are any (deaths), why are their corpses being hidden from the police?” the CP had queried.

Consequently, the community swiftly on Sunday afternoon, exhumed the corpses of two of those killed in the attack to prove the police wrong.

The corpses were taken to Central Hospital, Ughelli for autopsy.

But, the President-General of the Community, however, accused the police Commissioner of being economical with the truth.

A check by Vanguard Correspondent to hospital morgue yesterday, revealed that the decomposing corpses of the duo were seen, with one of them burnt after he was said to have been shot dead by the assailants.

The community president-general said: “As we speak (yesterday morning), seven persons are lying dead inside the bush and we are yet to recover their corpses.

“17 persons have been rushed to the hospital for medical treatment and I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the police not to cook up reports on this matter”.

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