By Osaigbovo Iguobaro
Some coffin makers at the Upper Mission Extension, near the Tebonga slope in the Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, have abandoned their shops following security and health concerns in the locality.
The tension stems from reports regarding the alleged ritual murder of an unidentified female, whose body was discovered inside a roadside drain in the neighborhood.
Investigation by TheNewspad revealed that the stench emanating from the decomposing corpse has caused distress and panic among residents and motorists plying the route.
One of the coffin maker, Martins, stated that him and his workers leave their shops and now seek refuge elsewhere after displaying their boxes for clients daily as a result of the odour in a bid to protect them from disease or infection.
A female commuter, Alaja, stated that she first noticed the incident while travelling from the New Benin market axis to Upper Mission Extension.
She recalled that a commercial driver alerted passengers to hold their breath as they approached the scene to avoid inhaling the odor from the decomposing body of the victim.
She lamented an alleged rise in ritual killings in parts of the state and criticized the authorities for failing to promptly address the health hazard posed by the decomposing corpse, which residents fear could trigger an epidemic.
