Family Exhumes, Reburies 52-Year-Old Corpse

It has now become clear that the planned demolition of houses to give way for the massive expansion of roads and bridges in Abeokuta, Ogun State is not only going to affect the living.

The proposal is giving some residents concern. While some residents of Idi-Ape, Ago-Oko area of Abeokuta are concerned about the initial discomfort that normally characterises such an exercise, 42 families are in a dilemma on how to relocate the corpses of their loved ones in a cemetery in the area.
The almost a century old cemetery belongs to the Cathedral of St. James African Church, Idi-Ape, and like all other structures along the Federal Medical Centre Road, Idi-Aba, it has been marked for demolition.

This development, PUNCH Metro learnt, has compelled the authorities of the church to give the affected families up to November 27 to exhume and rebury the corpses of their beloved ones elsewhere or risk mass reburial.

Although the church has already informed 35 of the affected families, members of seven others could not be traced.

One of the affected families heeded the church’s call last Friday by exhuming and reburying the body of Mrs. Dorcas Omidiji which was buried at the cemetery 52 years ago.

Her exhumed remains were encased in a new white casket and interred in a freshly dug grave covered with concrete slabs.

Culled from PUNCH