Ogun Shuts Down Illegal Mortuary, Evacuate Corpses

The Ogun state government has sealed off an illegal morgue facility located at No 6, Church Street, Orudu road, Gbogbolowo bus stop, Ifo in Ifo local government area of the state. The state government disclosed that its activities posed serious health hazard to the community and its environs.

While sealing off the illegal morgue, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Daisi Odeniyi alongside security operatives said the step was to deter other members of the public engaging in such illegal act and follow due process by registering Private Hospitals, Maternity Homes, Laboratory Centres and other health facilities with the Ministry of Health.

Odeniyi said three corpses were evacuated from the morgue, adding that the structure housing the corpses does not have a building plan approval and would be served demolition notice by the relevant government agency.

The permanent secretary, represented by Dr. Solomon Sokunbi said the three

bodies recovered from the morgue would be deposited to a state owned

mortuary facility, explaining that the corpses would be released to families after proper identification and documentation.

He said: “Ogun state has zero tolerance to quackery and would not condone the operation of any illegal health facility in and around the state, and anyone caught engaging in such illegality would be arrested and prosecuted.”

In an interview with Naij.com, the area coordinator of the community, Mr Funso Williams, confirmed that the morgue had been sealed thrice by the officials of the Ministry of Health, adding that Mr. Martins Ikharo, operator of the facility usually break government seal on the facility.

He therefore called on government to find a lasting solution to the problem, saying that such illegal facility could cause serious health hazard to the community as there are schools, churches, hotels and buildings around the morgue.