The Godfrey Okoye University in Enugu State has issued a strict 21-day deadline to the families of 33 abandoned corpses in its hospital mortuary.
The university’s management emphasized that failure to adhere to the evacuation directive would prompt the institution to proceed with a collective burial for these deceased individuals.
During a news conference in Enugu on Sunday, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Christian Anieke, highlighted the urgency of the ultimatum, issued on November 13. He explained that this timeframe was essential to facilitate renovations in the mortuary.
Anieke revealed that some of the deceased had remained in the mortuary for over 18 years, underscoring the necessity for the renovations. He clarified that these upgrades would ensure the mortuary meets the standards required for a teaching hospital.
He said, “We have got a court injunction to carry out mass burial of the 33 abandoned corpses in our teaching hospital morgue.
“Some of the corpses have been in the mortuary for more than 18 years and it is quite challenging as we want to renovate and make the hospital a befitting one for a teaching hospital.
“I am appealing to those who have corpses in the mortuary to come and remove them.
“We are talking about human beings here and not animals. Go and check if your relations are there.”
The teaching hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Cajetan Nwadinigwe, revealed that a significant number of corpses found in the facility lack proper identification.
During his remarks, Nwadinigwe added that 14 of the deceased individuals shared the same name.
He said there were no records of dates on which some of the corpses were deposited at the mortuary, while it was evident that some had been there for more than 10 years.
“This is our basis for approaching the court and advertising the warning in newspapers for families to see,’’ Nwadinigwe said.
