- UBTH Raises Alarm Over 462 Unclaimed Bodies in Mortuary
- Issues Six-Week Ultimatum
- The management urged families to come forward, stating that the hospital can no longer accommodate the bodies indefinitely
The management of University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) has raised concerns over the growing number of unclaimed bodies in its mortuary.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee in charge of Research and Ethics, Adebola Ehizele, disclosed this during a local broadcast in Benin City.
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According to Ehizele, a total of 462 corpses have remained in the hospital’s mortuary between January 2023 and June 2025. She noted that out of this number, 350 are children.
The hospital management has issued a six-week ultimatum for families or relatives to claim the bodies. It warned that any unclaimed corpses after the deadline would be disposed of through a mass burial or any other method deemed appropriate.
In a statement released in February, the hospital confirmed plans to clear long-standing unclaimed bodies from the mortuary. The statement clarified that the corpses include adults, children, and infants who have been in storage since January 2023.
The management urged families to come forward, stating that the hospital can no longer accommodate the bodies indefinitely.
It further explained that a six-week notice period would apply from the date of the announcement, after which any remaining unclaimed bodies would be buried in a mass burial.
