Oyo issues seven-day ultimatum on unclaimed corpses, plans mass burial.

The Oyo State Government has issued a seven-day public notice to relatives and next of kin of unidentified and unclaimed corpses deposited in public hospital mortuaries across the state to come forward for identification and collection before the bodies are given a mass burial.

The directive was announced on Monday in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi.

According to the commissioner, the decision became necessary following a significant increase in the number of unclaimed bodies occupying mortuaries in government-owned health facilities across Oyo State.

She explained that many of the corpses were brought to the hospitals by the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigerian Correctional Service and other relevant government agencies after accidents, criminal investigations, and other incidents requiring temporary preservation of the bodies.

However, despite being deposited in the facilities for extended periods, many of the corpses have remained unidentified or unclaimed by relatives, resulting in severe congestion within the affected mortuaries.

Ajetunmobi noted that the continued accumulation of unclaimed bodies has stretched the storage capacity of several public mortuaries, creating operational challenges for healthcare facilities that require adequate space to provide essential mortuary services.

She therefore urged members of the public, particularly families searching for missing relatives or loved ones, to visit government hospital mortuaries across the state to identify and claim any bodies that may belong to them before the expiration of the seven-day notice.

According to the commissioner, the notice is intended to give families and other concerned individuals sufficient opportunity to carry out identification procedures before the government proceeds with the planned mass burial exercise.

She disclosed that arrangements have already reached an advanced stage for the burial of all unclaimed corpses remaining in the affected mortuaries once the notice period expires.

The commissioner explained that the exercise forms part of the state’s efforts to decongest public mortuaries and ensure the smooth operation of health facilities across Oyo State.

She emphasized that the government remains committed to maintaining acceptable public health standards while ensuring that healthcare institutions continue to function efficiently without the burden of overcrowded mortuary facilities.

Ajetunmobi further appealed to community leaders, religious organisations, civil society groups and members of the public to help disseminate the information widely so that families of missing persons are adequately informed before the commencement of the burial exercise.

She reassured residents that the government would continue to uphold dignity and due process in handling unclaimed bodies while balancing public health considerations and the effective management of state-owned healthcare facilities.

The Oyo State Government urged all affected persons to act promptly within the seven-day window, stressing that any corpses that remain unclaimed after the expiration of the notice will be included in the planned mass burial in accordance with existing public health regulations.