The family of Peter Biakpara, husband to late Mrs Comfort Biakpara has debunked reports making rounds on the internet that the corpse of the deceased was left abandoned.
According to the report by PUNCH, Comfort’s corpse was rejected by her family because some of her body parts including her eyes and tongue were missing.
It also said that angry youths revolted at the burial venue in Ubulu-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, leading to the husband’s family abandoning the corpse to scamper for safety.
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The report quoted a source to say, “It was terrible yesterday (Saturday). Our sister was brought without eyes, tongue and other organs.
“As they laid our sister on a bench in the canopy and family members and other people were going to see her, unfortunately, we first discovered that cotton wool was put on her eyes.
“When we raised the alarm and enquired further, we discovered that there were no eyes and that was when youths revolted and started scattering everywhere. Some sustained minor injuries in the process.
“The husband’s family members who brought the corpse ran away because we were angry over the development. Later, we found out that even her tongue was also removed.”
However, in a conversation with Daily Report Nigeria, David Biakpara, who formed a part of the delegation for the Biakpara family from Tamigbe, Burutu Council Area of Delta State, denied the reports, saying there is no iota of truth.
David told our correspondent that Mrs Comfort was returned to her family in one piece, contrary to reports making rounds on the media.
He lamented that the spread of the wrong information has left the husband of the deceased well traumatized.
“It is an absolute lie. Everything that was reported were made up. We returned our deceased wife in one piece to her family.
“First off, this woman ought to be buried at her husband’s place in line with their tradition, but her family claimed that she was princess. We asked how, they said because her father is the Diokpa of the community.
According to David, problem started during the inspection of the corpse by her family in wait of her final funeral rites. One of her brothers raised a false alarm that the eyes of the decease was missing.
He revealed that upon the uproar by the family over suspicion of their daughter’s body parts missing, a mortuary attendant was invited alongside a doctor to ascertain the claims.
“A mortuary attendant was invited over to see if their claims were true, but the family were left disappointed as they were proven to be false.
“The attendant revealed that the eyes of the deceased only fell into the socket probably over poor handling at the mortuary.
“Many of our brethren from Tamigbe and other sympathisers were molested and brutalized by the youths who were hell bent on causing havoc. They bore dangerous weapons.
“We were practically surrounded because all exit and entrance routes into the burial ground were blocked by arm bearing youths of Ubulu-Uku.
“Even the eldest man in the kindred could not handle the situation as the youths persistently defied his appeals for calm,” he said.
On reports of the corpse being abandoned by the husband’s family and being deposited in a morgue, David maintained that the reports were a propaganda.
“When the ambush became too severe, members of the Biakpara family had to take shelter in the canopy of the elders of the community.
“Even the clergymen who were made to carry out the burial rites scampered for safety when the tension became heightened.
“It got to a point where we became afraid for our lives. Fighting ensued among family members and the deceased’s youngest sibling was left with a broken head.
“We took advantage of the infighting among them to escape from the venue.
“I can affirm to you that she was buried shortly thereafter. I don’t know where the story on the media emanated from. It is all a lie,” he added.
Another member of the family, Fungewei Azami, lamented over the damage the falsehood of the report has caused.
He pointed out that the reports have further added to the pains of the widower, who is yet to recover from the death of Comfort, who died while giving birth on January 2, 2022.
He likened the whole scenario as a case of blackmail against the person of the deceased’s husband, who is a respected politician and elder statesman in Delta State.
