Cross River: UCTH fixes date for mass burial of unclaimed corpses

The University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) has fixed October 21, 2026, for the mass burial of corpses that remain unclaimed in its mortuary after the expiration of a final grace period given to relatives and individuals who deposited the bodies.

The hospital said the decision was part of efforts to decongest its mortuary, improve sanitation and address the growing number of abandoned and unclaimed corpses, some of which have reportedly remained there for more than 10 years.

Chairman of the Special Task Force on the Evacuation of Abandoned and Unclaimed Corpses, Dr David Ushie, disclosed this in Calabar while announcing the latest efforts to trace relatives of the affected corpses.

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Ushie said the hospital had given relatives and individuals who deposited the bodies three weeks to identify and claim them before the October 21 deadline.

“The hospital has given relatives and individuals who deposited the corpses three weeks to identify and claim them. Any bodies remaining unclaimed after the October 21, 2026, deadline will be evacuated for mass burial without further notice,” he said.

The Chief Medical Director of UCTH, Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, had earlier announced the deadline during the inauguration of the task force, attributing the rising number of unclaimed corpses to the high cost of burial ceremonies and cultural practices that impose substantial financial obligations on bereaved families and in-laws.

Ikpeme, who was represented by the Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee in charge of Clinical Services, Dr Stephen Ogbudu, said the directive covered corpses that had remained in the mortuary beyond the statutory 90-day period from the date of deposit.

He disclosed that some of the corpses had remained in the hospital mortuary for over a decade, describing the situation as a burden that required urgent action.

According to him, the evacuation exercise became necessary to create space in the mortuary and ensure a cleaner and safer environment for the provision of clinical services.

The hospital management had earlier issued a public notice calling on relatives and individuals who may have deposited corpses at the facility to come forward, identify the bodies and complete the necessary procedures for their recovery.

Management reiterated the appeal, urging members of the public who have missing or deceased relatives whose remains may have been deposited at UCTH to take advantage of the grace period before the October 21 deadline.

The hospital said no further notice would be issued for corpses that remained unclaimed after the deadline.

The mortuary evacuation task force was inaugurated on September 29, 2026, with representatives of relevant hospital departments, stakeholders and members of the press in attendance.

Ushie, who is the Head of the Department of Pathology, chairs the committee, while Barrister Ewa Iquo Alexander of the hospital’s Legal Department serves as secretary.

Other members of the task force include representatives of the Surveillance, SERVICOM, Corporate Affairs, and Sanitation departments.