The Oyo State Government has announced plans to conduct a mass burial for unclaimed corpses deposited in public hospital mortuaries across the state, giving relatives and next of kin seven days to come forward for identification and collection of the bodies.
The directive was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the state Commissioner for Health, Ajetunmobi Oluwaserimi, who expressed concern over the growing number of unclaimed bodies occupying mortuary spaces in government-owned health facilities.
According to the commissioner, the affected mortuaries are experiencing severe congestion due to the accumulation of corpses that have remained unclaimed for extended periods.
She explained that many of the bodies were deposited by security and emergency agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Correctional Service, and other relevant institutions.
Ajetunmobi noted that the continued presence of the corpses has placed pressure on mortuary facilities, with some already operating beyond their storage capacity.
To address the situation, the government has appealed to members of the public, especially those searching for missing relatives, to visit public hospital mortuaries across the state to identify and claim any deceased family members.
“The government noted a significant increase in the number of unclaimed corpses currently deposited in mortuaries within public health facilities across the state,” the commissioner said.
She added that arrangements were already being concluded for a mass burial exercise, which will take place seven days after the publication of the notice if the bodies remain unclaimed.
The commissioner said the notice was issued to give families, relatives and other interested persons sufficient time to verify the identities of the deceased and complete necessary procedures before the planned burial.
Ajetunmobi stressed that the decision was necessary to ensure the efficient operation of public health facilities and maintain acceptable public health standards across the state.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to effective healthcare management, noting that clearing the congested mortuaries would help improve service delivery within the affected facilities.
Residents with missing family members have therefore been advised to promptly visit public hospital mortuaries in Oyo State to check available records and assist authorities in identifying any unclaimed bodies before the expiration of the seven-day deadline.
