Kogi Gives 130 Unclaimed Corpses Mass Burial

No fewer than 130 unclaimed corpses have been given mass burial in Lokoja, Kogi State.

The corpses were buried at Felele public cemetery on Saturday by officials from the Kog State Sanitation and Waste Management Board.

The unclaimed corpses were that of victims of accidents, armed robbers and kidnappers.

The corpses were deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja for months without families or relations coming to claim them.

The general manager of the Kogi State Sanitation and Waste Management Board, Mrs Elizabeth Arokoyo while speaking after the mass burial said the board is backed by law to bury unclaimed corpses.

She said this is in a bid to ensure that the environment is safe for habitation.

Arokoyo stated that the corpses have stayed too long in the mortuary, hence the decision to bury them.

The general manager who was represented by the acting secretary of the board, Ajayi Olufemi, said the corpses were brought to the mortuary by the Nigerian Police Force and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

According to her, announcements were made through broadcast and print media organisations for their relations to come and claim them but the efforts did not yield the desired results.

The General Manager then reiterated the state government’s commitment towards ensuring that, the environment is safe for people to live.

“All the people evacuating and burying these bodies have been sanitized.

“We have made several announcements on radio, television and other media houses about this unclaimed bodies.

“But, as I speak to you, nothing was heard from family members, relations, and friends of this Corpses.

“Most of these corpses are victims of accidents, kidnapers, armed robbers which were brought by the Police and Federal Road Safety Corps.

“So, they have to be buried because they have been in the mortuary for a long time without anybody coming for them,” she added.