Mortuary Attendant At UCH Restrained For Removing Corpse Head

A mortuary attendant at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Muritala Raimi, has been remanded in Agodi prison by an Iyaganku magistrate’s court sitting in Ibadan on Monday.

The 57-year-old mortuary attendant was alleged to have decapitated an unidentified dead man and concealed it in a bag. But while attempting to leave the premises, he was caught with the head.

He tried to run away from the scene but was prevented from escaping by policemen in the hospital who arrested him and took him to Yemetu police station.

The charge sheet signed by superintendent of police, Adeniyi Odebiyi, said, “That you Muritala Raimi, aged 57, on the 15th March 2017 at about 05:30 pm at UCH Ibadan in Ibadan magisterial district did steal human skull inside UCH mortuary and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 3 of the criminal code cap 38 vol. 11 laws of Oyo State of Nigeria.

“That you Muritala Raimi on the same date, place in the aforementioned magisterial district did misconduct with regard to corpse by decapitating a corpse deposited at UCH mortuary and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 242 of the criminal code cap 38, vol. 11 laws of Oyo State.”

After pleading not guilty to the two-count, Magistrate Akanni Monsurat granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in the like sum, Raimi failed to meet the bail conditions.

He was consequently asked to be reprimanded in Agodi prison custody.