Hospital sets date for mass burial of unclaimed bodies

The University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) in Cross River State has set 21 October for a mass burial of unclaimed bodies. This is the last chance for families and individuals who left the bodies to identify and take them back.

The hospital explained that this step was necessary because some corpses had been in the mortuary for many years, taking up space that is needed for hospital operations.

David Ushie, who leads the Special Task Force on the Evacuation of Abandoned and Unclaimed Corpses, said the hospital issued a notice for relatives and others to come forward and claim the bodies before the deadline.

"The hospital has given relatives and individuals who deposited the corpses three weeks to identify and claim them. Any bodies remaining unclaimed after the 21 October 2026 deadline will be taken for mass burial without further notice," Mr Ushie said.

Mr Ushie, who is also in charge of UCTH's pathology department, said the notice aims to give families enough time to identify and retrieve the bodies.

The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Ikpeme Ikpeme, announced the deadline during the task force’s inauguration in Calabar on 29 September.

Mr Ikpeme, represented by Stephen Ogbudu, who is the deputy chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee for Clinical Services, said this directive applies to corpses that have been in the mortuary for more than the legal 90-day period since they were deposited.

He revealed that some bodies had been in the mortuary for over ten years.

Mr Ikpeme said the increase in unclaimed bodies is partly due to the high cost of burial and cultural practices that put heavy financial pressure on grieving families.

The hospital mentioned that the planned burial will help clear the mortuary, improve hygiene, and create a better environment for clinical services.

It urged anyone who thinks that the remains of missing or deceased relatives might be at the hospital to reach out to the relevant officials and complete the necessary steps before 21 October.

The task force includes staff from the hospital’s Legal, Surveillance, SERVICOM, Corporate Affairs, and Sanitation departments. Ewa Alexander from the Legal Department is the secretary of the task force.