Three mortuary attendants, who police accused of cutting off the two wrists and the heart of a dead woman, were on Thursday brought before a Yaba Chief Magistrate’ court in Lagos.
The police charged Micheal Olusegun, 65; Oluseyi Olamade, 41; and Adetunji Aliyu, 45, with two counts of conspiracy and misconduct with regards to a corpse. The Police Prosecutor, ASP Roman Unuigbe, told the court that the accused persons committed the offence on Nov. 16, at St. Raphael Divine Mercy Hospital in Ijede, Ikorodu area of Lagos. He said that one Athony Lawani, lodged a complaint to the police that the body of his sister, 51-year-old Mary Ehinlaiye, which was deposited at the morgue was missing.
“The complainant had gone to the mortuary to collect his sister’s body for burial but the attendant’s could not present the body to him. “It was later discovered that they had exchanged the body for another one and the family of the other deceased had buried his sister as their own.
“They secretly went to the mortuary and exchange the corpses and tried to return her to her brother without two wrists and a heart. “Fortunately, Lawani discovered the missing parts and drew the attention of the police to the situation,” he said.
After the charges were read to them, they pleaded not guilty and they were admitted to bail. The matter wasa then adjourned to Jan. 30 for trial. (NAN)
