15th October, 2012
Two mortuary attendants, Olumuyiwa Awobajo, 44, and Theodore Okere, 59, attached to the Military Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, have been arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court on a two-count charge of allegedly stealing a corpse kept in their custody.
The operatives at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, Force Headquarters annex, Lagos, alleged in charge suit number H/37/12 that the accused persons were arrested following a written complaint by the children of the late Rotimi Alege that the corpse of their father, deposited at the mortuary on 17 May, 2010, which was received by the accused persons, could no longer be found.
They stated that when they went back to the hospital to claim the corpse for burial, the two attendants gave them a corpse which was not of their father and that all efforts to locate the corpse in order to give their father a befitting burial have proved abortive for the past two years.
Police investigations revealed that the late Rotimi Alege died in May 2010 and his corpse was first deposited at a hospital mortuary on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, by the family. But after about a week, they reportedly moved the corpse to the Military Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, which the duo allegedly received and deposited in their morgue.
When the deceased’s family went back to the hospital to retrieve the body for burial, the suspects allegedly presented a different corpse to them which, when examined, was discovered not to be that of their father.
During interrogation, the accused persons allegedly insisted that the corpse the complainants brought to their hospital is the same one they presented and that they did not steal any corpse, but the deceased’s family has insisted that the duo have stolen their late father’s corpse as they are not blind not to recognise their father who died at a ripe age.
The offences committed by the accused persons, the prosecutor, Supol Asuquo stated, contravenes sections 409, 378 and 285 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
One of the counts reads that “you Olumuyiwa Awobajo and Theodore Okere, on 17 May, 2010 at Lagos in the Lagos magisterial district, did steal the corpse of one late Rotimi Alege, which was kept in your care.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges and the presiding magistrate, Mr. A. A. Adefulire granted them bail in the sum of N200,000 each with two sureties who must show proof of tax payment to Lagos State government with current statement of six months bank account.
He adjourned the matter till 15 November, 2012.
The defendants have been remanded at Ikoyi Prison pending when they will meet their bail conditions.
—Paul Iyoghojie