By Olasunkanmi Akoni
LAGOS—Lagos State Government has said it will organise a mass burial for  unclaimed and unidentified corpses, that have been lying at the morgue of Isolo General Hospital Mortuary for over a period of three months.

According to the state Ministry of Health, the bodies were those victims of either motor accident, ritual killings, among others.

State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who made the disclosure, Wednesday, noted that the mass burial of the unclaimed corpses became necessary to allow for their proper burial before they decomposed and in line with the belief that dead bodies must be treated with dignity and respect.

He added that the measure was also to decongest the general hospital’s mortuary as well as eliminate the stench oozing into the atmosphere as a result of the fast decomposing bodies.

He urged members of the public to check  Isolo mortuary to identify and claim their missing or dead love ones and arrange for their burial before the scheduled date.

The commissioner reiterated the commitment of the state government to ensure  a healthy environment and urged members of the public to always observe and maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene, stressing that this was one of the ways disease can be prevented.

“There is also the need for members of the public to avoid indiscriminate disposal or dumping of refuse into drainage, canals and waterways. Clearing of drains in front of their houses, safe disposal of human wastes and observation of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise will also go a long way to ensure a healthy and hygienic environment and prevent outbreak of communicable diseases,” Idris said.