By Davies Iheamnachor

Vigilante members in Rivers State have discovered the remains of a man trapped under a fallen staircase.

It was suspected that the staircase attached to the abandoned one-storey building had collapsed and fallen on the victim.

The victim, a suspected scavenger, is believed to be under the staircase when it caved and well on him.

The local vigilante group made the discovery, Wednesday, at an abandoned building in the Elechi Street area of Mile 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State.

A source within the area said the building, overtaken by weeds and riddled with deep cracks on the wall, was used by criminals for their activities.

Confirming the development, Mr Godstime Ihunwo, who is the Chief Security Officer of Nkpolu Oroworukwo, Mile 3, Diobu, said he received information at about 6:15 pm on the incident.

Ihunwo, a member of Diobu Vigilante Service, disclosed he and his team only discovered the corpse of the victim trapped in the fallen staircase when they visited the abandoned building in search of drug users.

He said: “Based on previous complaints from residents of the area on the use of the abandoned building as a smoking joint by hoodlums, we mobilized to the place and on getting to the area the hoodlums have left.

“While searching the hoodlums in the abandoned building, we saw a corpse of a male and on close examination, it was observed that the staircase of the storey building collapsed on him.”

Ihunwo revealed that the team raised the alarm that drew the attention of residents of the area, who the Nkpolu Divisional Police Headquarters Mile 3 Diobu.

However, at press time the Rivers State Police Command could not confirm the development.