The University of Abuja has announced plans to conduct a mass burial for 108 unclaimed corpses, including 16 deceased babies, by the end of August. The decision is aimed at addressing the overcrowding issue in the morgue of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, which is situated in Gwagwalada, FCT.
According to a public notice released by the hospital’s management, the unclaimed or unknown corpses were primarily brought to the morgue by various security agents, including police and officials from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Among the unclaimed bodies are four babies named Ayomide, Olaniyi, Gbenga Bidemi, and Joshua, who were brought to the morgue on November 9, 2021. Additionally, babies named Kamibili, Chentiwu, Augustine, and an unidentified baby were brought in on June 22 and 26, 2023. The notice further stated that a set of triplets, brought in on June 11, 2023, has also not been claimed.
The hospital emphasized that if no one claims these bodies within two weeks from the date of the public notice, all of the unclaimed remains, including the infants, will be buried together.
The announcement has prompted concerns about the circumstances surrounding these unclaimed corpses, particularly the deceased babies, and highlights the importance of addressing issues related to abandoned bodies and proper identification. The mass burial is seen as a necessary step to manage the morgue’s capacity and ensure proper handling of these unclaimed remains.
Names of some of the adults to be mass-buried were also provided, including Haruna Ibrahim, Musa Muhammed, Yusuf Ibrahim, Sugar Joy, Abdullahi Mohammed, and Paul Ishaku, among others.
