By Desire Emmanuel
The Oyo State government on Monday, June 22, raised the alarm over what it described as increasing cases of abandoned corpses at various mortuaries within public health facilities across the state.
The government also threatened to carry out ‘mass burial’ of the corpses if they are not claimed within seven days.
The government, in a statement on Monday, acknowledged the fact that some of the corpses were brought to the mortuaries by the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Correctional Service and other agencies.
It added that over time, after they were brought by the agencies, the bodies have remained unclaimed, resulting in severe congestion in the affected mortuaries, many of which have now reached their full storage capacities.
The government stated that in view of this development and the need to ensure the continued efficient operation of health facilities, members of the public, particularly individuals with missing relatives, are urged to visit the relevant public hospital mortuaries for the purpose of identification and possible claim of the corpses.
It further disclosed that arrangements are being finalised for the conduct of a mass burial of all unclaimed corpses in the affected facilities, which will take place seven days after the Monday announcement.
“The seven-day notice is intended to provide an opportunity for relatives and other concerned persons to come forward for identification before the burial exercise is carried out,” the government said in the statement.
