Over 50 corpses abandoned for more than 10 years in UCTH to be given mass burial
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital to Conduct Mass Burial of Abandoned Corpses
CALABAR, Nigeria — The management of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) has revealed that it is currently housing over 50 corpses in its morgue, all of which have been unclaimed for more than a decade, exceeding the statutory three-month retention period.
Due to space constraints, hospital officials indicated that they are unable to accommodate additional bodies. According to the management, the relatives of the deceased have not come forward to claim the remains despite efforts to reach out to them.
Dr. David Ushie, Chairman of the Special Task Force on the Evacuation of Abandoned and Unclaimed Corpses, announced that a mass burial is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, 2026. This decision will follow a three-week grace period, during which families are urged to identify and retrieve any unclaimed bodies.
Ushie emphasized that previous attempts to locate the relatives of the deceased have been unsuccessful, adding that all unclaimed bodies will be buried en masse without further notice after the deadline.
“The October 21 deadline remains firm,” Ushie stated. “The hospital will not issue another notice before executing the mass burial.”
Dr. Stephen Ogbudu, speaking on behalf of UCTH’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, acknowledged that economic factors may contribute to the increasing number of unclaimed corpses. He noted that the rising cost of burial ceremonies and cultural obligations can place significant financial burdens on bereaved families.
Ogbudu explained that the directive applies to corpses that have been in the morgue beyond the legally permitted 90-day period from the time of deposition. Some of the bodies have remained in storage for over a decade.
The hospital’s management stressed that the evacuation of these bodies is a necessary measure intended to alleviate pressure on the morgue, enhance sanitation, and improve the overall environment for clinical services.
