The Oyo State Government has given relatives and next of kin a 7-day ultimatum to claim unclaimed corpses in public hospital mortuaries, or the bodies will be given a mass burial.
The notice was conveyed in a statement by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi.
She said there has been a significant increase in unclaimed bodies deposited across mortuaries in state-owned health facilities.
Affected families are urged to visit the respective hospitals within 7 days for identification and release of the corpses.
According to the Commissioner, the corpses were brought to the facilities by the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Correctional Service, and other relevant agencies. Over time, the bodies have remained unclaimed, resulting in severe congestion in the affected mortuaries, many of which have now reached their storage capacities.
She 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.
She 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 (7) days from the date of this publication.
She explained that 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.