Edo Government To Conduct Mass Burial For Mummified Corpses Found In Suspected Ritualists’ Shrine, Illegal Mortuary

According to a report by SaharaReporters, the Edo State Government is set to conduct mass burial for some corpses.

The government has scheduled mass burial for the corpses found at an illegal mortuary located off Ekehuan Road in Benin City.

It said mass burial will also be conducted for corpses found at the former mortuary in the defunct Asuen Hospital, First East Circular Road, Benin City, the state capital.

In a statement on Wednesday, the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Obehi Akoria, called on members of the public who have corpses at the locations to provide the required evidence to claim them for burial.

She said, "The general public is hereby notified that the corpses which were found at an illegal mortuary located off Ekehuan Road in Benin City have been scheduled for mass burial. Similarly, corpses at the former mortuary at the defunct Asuen Hospital, First East Circular Road, Benin City, have been scheduled for mass burial.

"Members of the public who may have corpses at these locations are hereby invited to provide the required evidence to claim such corpse(s) for burial."

The Commissioner added, "The Government of Edo State is hereby giving a moratorium of 21 days beginning from the date of publication of this announcement for the corpses to be duly claimed for burial. 

"For further clarification, please contact the Director of Regulation and Monitoring at the Ministry of Health - 3rd Floor, Block D, New Secretariat Building, Sapele Road, Benin City."

Earlier, the state government directed all private hospital owners who run mortuaries, owners and operators of stand-alone mortuaries, and owners and operators of embalmment homes in the state to present their registration documents to the Ministry of Health before the close of business on Friday, September 30, 2022.

In a statement, the Commissioner said, "Owners/operators of mortuaries or embalmment homes who are not duly registered with the Ministry of Health are advised to obtain the requirements for registration from the Ministry of Health before the close of business on Friday, September 9, 2022.

"Owners/operators of mortuaries and embalmment homes are further informed that every corpse must be duly certified as dead by a competent medical officer before being received into a private mortuary. Any corpse that has not been so certified should be taken to a government-owned mortuary."

Earlier in August, the Nigeria Police Force announced that it uncovered a suspected ritualist den with 20 mummified corpses in the city.

The state police command disclosed this in a statement issued through its spokesperson, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu.

Iwegbu said three suspects had been arrested in connection with the crime.

The Command in the statement said following a tip-off, its operatives were mobilised to a building along Asoro Slope, off Ekenhuan Road, Uzebu Quarters in Benin City where the corpses were discovered.

It read, "In pursuance of its operational mandate of nipping crimes in the bud, Operatives of the Edo State Police Command 17/08/2022 unravelled a suspected ritual shrine.

"Following credible information at the Command’s disposal that some corpses were discovered in a building along Asoro slope off Ekenhuan Road, Uzebu quarters, Benin city. Operatives of the command immediately swung into action and mobilized to the scene.

"At the scene, 3 suspects, Chimaobi Okoewu ‘M’ and Oko Samuel ‘M’ both of Afikpo in Ebonyi and Gideon Sunday ‘M’ of Akwa Ibom State were arrested while others fled. An intensive effort is ongoing to arrest the other fleeing suspects.

"15 mummified male corpses, 3 mummified female corpses and 2 mummified children corpses were discovered at the scene."