By Adeola Badru
The Oyo State Government has issued a seven-day ultimatum to families, relatives and next of kin of unidentified and unclaimed bodies deposited in public hospital mortuaries across the state, warning that the remains will be given a mass burial if they are not claimed within the stipulated period.
The government said the decision became necessary following increasing pressure on mortuary facilities due to the growing number of unclaimed corpses occupying storage spaces in government-owned hospitals.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, said many of the bodies were deposited in public hospital mortuaries by the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigerian Correctional Service and other relevant agencies.
According to her, despite being kept for extended periods, the bodies have remained unidentified and unclaimed.
