Uniben Teaching Hospital threatens mass burial of 462 unclaimed corpses
University of Benin Teaching Hospital Raises Concern Over Unclaimed Bodies
Benin City—Officials at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) have expressed serious concerns regarding a significant number of unclaimed bodies in the facility’s mortuary.
Professor Adebola Ehizele, Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee overseeing Research and Ethics, addressed the issue during an interview with a local broadcast station. She reported that as of June 2025, approximately 462 bodies remain unclaimed, including 350 of children. Many of these corpses have been in the hospital’s morgue since January 2023.
In light of the situation, hospital management has issued a six-week deadline for families to come forward and claim these bodies. Following the deadline, any unclaimed corpses will be disposed of through a mass burial.
In a statement released earlier this year, the hospital announced plans for the disposal of long-term unclaimed bodies, including those of adults, children, and infants. The statement reiterated the need for families to take urgent action, as the morgue can no longer accommodate additional bodies.
“Owners of such corpses are hereby given six weeks’ notice from the date of this announcement to claim them,” the statement read. “Any unclaimed corpses at the expiration of this period shall be disposed of in a manner deemed appropriate by the hospital.”
