By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Mass burial is being planned in Owerri for 64 bodies of accident victims and those killed by gunmen most of whose relatives do not know their whereabouts, coming less than two months after 20 murdered travellers were buried in mass graves in Jos.
Cemeteries in all the 44 councils in Kano are filled up, the State House of Assembly alerted on September 15, highlighting how terror attacks and coronavirus have accelerated untimely deaths in the country.
The Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri said it will conduct mass burial in the next two weeks for 64 unclaimed bodies in its mortuary because the families of the deceased have not claimed them.
The Nation reports that the mortuary is overstretched with unclaimed bodies of accident victims or those killed during recent attacks by gunmen.
FMC spokesperson Jacy Achonu said the hospital conducts mass burials yearly after the expiration of a grace period given for bodies to be claimed by relatives.
“We are conducting the burial within the next two weeks. Most of them are accident victims brought in by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
“The families of these victims don’t even know that their loved ones are in the mortuary. This is why we are giving them two weeks’ grace,” she told The Nation.
“The facility is overstretched with 60 or more bodies. There are offices near the mortuary and this may not be healthy for people.”
20 bodies buried in mass graves in Jos
Last month, 20 travellers killed by gunmen at the Gada-Biyu section on the Jos-Zaria road were buried in mass graves at Dadinkowa cemetery in Jos.
The deceased were travelling from Bauchi to Ikare in Ondo State when they met their untimely death in Jos. Forty of them were still missing.
According to The Guardian (Nigeria), the incident happened on Rukuba road that leads to the 3 Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, Jos.
The travellers in five buses encountered Miango mourners taking about 40 corpses from the Plateau Specialist Hospital in Jos for mass burial in their village in Miango.
The mourners stopped the buses and the travellers told them that they were coming from Bauchi and going to Ikare, taking Rukuba road as a shortcut.
A statement issued by Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) spokesman, Major Takwa Ishaku, confirmed that “troops got distress calls that suspected hoodlums blocked Jos North Junction along Rukuba Road in Jos North LGA of Plateau State and attacked some commuters.
“Troops immediately mobilised to the scene and restored normalcy.
“Some persons, including innocent commuters, lost their lives in the unfortunate incident, while others with varying degrees of injuries have been evacuated to a medical facility for care. Their condition is being closely monitored.
“Twelve suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the incident and troops are on the trail of others that took part in perpetrating the heinous act. Those arrested are currently in custody for interrogation .…”
Kano cemeteries filled up
Kano lawmakers on September 15 called on Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to provide new cemeteries in all the 44 councils in the state, per reporting by The Nation.
The motion was jointly moved in the state Assembly by Nasiru Amare (Karaye constituency) and Sunusi Bataiya (Albasu constituency).
The lawmakers said the cemeteries were filled, leaving no space for new graves.
