The Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital (NNRH), Ojo, Lagos State, has issued a public appeal urging families and members of the public to come forward to identify and claim the remains of several deceased persons currently in its custody, warning that a mass burial will be conducted after two weeks if the bodies remain unclaimed.
Speaking on the development, the Commander of NNRH Ojo, Captain Aliyu Ope Oyeneyin, said the hospital had exhausted all reasonable efforts to trace the relatives of the deceased, noting that many of the bodies had remained unclaimed for an extended period.
Captain Oyeneyin explained that the prolonged retention of the remains has placed significant pressure on the hospital’s mortuary facilities, making the issuance of a public notice unavoidable. He stressed that in line with public health regulations and standard medical practice, unclaimed bodies cannot be kept indefinitely.
“If after a period of two weeks from this notice no relative or representative comes forward to claim these remains, the hospital will have no option but to proceed with a mass burial,” he stated.
He assured that any mass burial, if it becomes necessary, would be conducted with dignity and in strict adherence to established procedures, emphasizing that the decision was driven by health, safety and space considerations rather than convenience.
Also commenting, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha, said the Nigerian Navy approved the public notification to ensure transparency and give families a final opportunity to claim their loved ones.
“The Nigerian Navy places a high premium on human life and dignity. This public appeal is to ensure that no family is denied the opportunity to accord their loved ones a proper and personal burial,” Rear Admiral Mustapha said, urging the public to take the notice seriously.
He added that the Navy remains sensitive to the emotional and social implications surrounding unclaimed bodies, particularly those linked to periods of social unrest, and assured that due process would be strictly followed.
In the same vein, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, described the appeal as a humanitarian initiative that reflects the Navy’s responsibility to society beyond its core security mandate.
Vice Admiral Abbas called on community leaders, religious bodies, civil society organisations and the media to help disseminate the information widely so that affected families can be reached in time.
“The Nigerian Navy is part of the society it serves. In situations like this, our duty goes beyond operations at sea. We appeal to all stakeholders to help spread this message so that families who may still be searching for missing relatives can come forward,” he said.
The CNS also assured that the Navy would continue to strengthen record-keeping, inter-agency collaboration and community engagement to minimise cases of unidentified and unclaimed bodies in the future.
The Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Ojo, has advised interested persons to visit the hospital’s mortuary department within the stipulated two-week period with relevant information or means of identification to support their claims.
Hospital authorities emphasized that all inquiries would be treated with sensitivity and confidentiality, urging the public to act promptly to avoid the need for a mass burial.
