Three mortuary attendants were yesterday arraigned before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly removing a dead woman’s heart and chopping off her wrists at a hospital in Ikorodu.
Olusegun, 65; Olamide, 41; and Aliyu, 45, were said to have committed the offence on November 16, at St. Raphael Divine Mercy Hospital in Ijede, Ikorodu.
Prosecuting Assistant police Superintendent of Police (ASP) Roman Unuigbe said the complainant, Mr. Anthony Lawani reported to the police that the body of his sister, Mary Ehinlaiye, 51, got missing from the mortuary.
Unuigbe said: “The complainant went to the mortuary to collect his sister’s body for burial, but the attendants could not present it 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, exchanged the bodies 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 development.”
The offence, the prosecutor said, contravened sections 165 (b) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. (Revised)
The defendants pleaded not guilty.
Chief Magistrate Peter Ojo granted them N500,000 bail with two sureties each in the like sum.
One of the sureties, he said, must be a relation and must be resident in the court’s jurisdiction.
Ojo said the sureties must show evidence of three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government and be employed.
The case continues on January 30.
