The Oyo government plans a mass burial, giving a 7-day deadline to the owners of the bodies

The Oyo State Government has issued a seven-day notice to the relatives and next of kin of unclaimed bodies stored in various public hospital mortuaries across the state to submit for identification and claim, after which the bodies will be buried en masse.

Commissioner of Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, noted a significant increase in the number of unclaimed bodies in public health facilities.

According to the commissioner, the bodies were brought to the facility by the Nigerian Police, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Correctional Service and other relevant agencies.

He explained that as time went by, the bodies remained uncollected, resulting in congestion at the affected morgues, many of which had already reached their storage capacity.

Ajetunmobi stated that, in view of these developments and the need to ensure the smooth operation of health facilities, the public, especially those with missing relatives, are advised to visit the mortuaries of relevant public hospitals for identification and retrieval of bodies.

He further said arrangements were being finalized for mass burial of unclaimed bodies in the next seven days.

The commissioner explained that the notification was intended to give relatives and other related parties an opportunity to collect the body.

He reiterated that the state government remained committed to maintaining acceptable public health standards and ensuring effective management of health facilities across the state.