Mortuary attendants arrested over corpse’s disappearance
Four persons have been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command following the disappearance of the corpse of an 86-year-old man, Joel Omiran, at the Sacred Heart Hospital Mortuary, Lantoro, Abeokuta, the state capital.
It was gathered that the octogenarian died a month ago at the hospital after he was rushed to the medical facility for treatment.
A source told our correspondent on Saturday that the body was kept by the deceased’s family at the mortuary shortly after he died.
According to the source, the deceased’s children checked the corpse three weeks ago and found it intact.
The source explained that the children later notified the hospital management of their plan to take away the body for burial.
Trouble, however, started when the family got to the mortuary, having paid the requisite fees, but could not find the body.
“Every effort to get the body proved abortive,” the source added.
Our correspondent gathered that the four persons arrested were two mortuary attendants, an auditor and a plumber.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident.
Oyeyemi said, “Yes, we are aware that the body of an 86-year-old man, Joel Omiran, was missing in the Sacred Heart Hospital Mortuary, Abeokuta.
“We have commenced an investigation. The State CID, Eleweran, has taken over the case.
Four suspects have been held: two mortuary attendants, one auditor and a plumber.
“The police held the plumber because we heard that a few days to the incident, he helped the attendants to break the door to the mortuary when the keys to the doors were misplaced. We made the arrest on Thursday.”
