From James Ogala, Lagos
A 62-year-old man, Shuaibu Atanda, who earn a living from carrying unclaimed dead bodies from the Morbid Anatomy Department, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba, Lagos has been nabbed by the Lagos State Police Command.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos, the spokesman of the command, Mr. Frank Mba, a Superintendent of Police, said that the suspect was arrested by the police for being in possession of over 50 corpses.
Mba told journalists that the suspect was arrested along Agboowa Road near Idi-Araba.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), also disclosed that the suspect was actually contracted to carry the dead bodies from the Morbid Anatomy Department, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH to Atam cemetery.
The suspect who was paraded before journalists said that he earns his living from carrying dead bodies from the Morbid Anatomy Department, to bury at Atam cemetery.
He said the contract usually fetch him about N200,000 adding that after bribing the head of Morbid Anatomy Department and other officials, he was left with little amount of money, hence, he decided to risk carrying the dead bodies and buried them in the bush instead of Atan cemetery, before he was arrested by the police.
He claimed that he has been in this business for the past seven years and this is the first time he was being arrested by the police.
Speaking with journalists after the suspect had been paraded; the Head of Department of Morbid Anatomy, (a professor - name withheld), said that all officials mentioned would be investigated saying that anybody found wanting would be handed over to the police.
She claimed that she was not aware of the bribe until the suspect was arrested adding that Atanda was given the contract but not to deposit the dead bodies in the bush.
The police, Mba said would be working with the management of LUTH to establish these allegations after which anybody found wanting would be charged to court.