Inside Nigeria’s morgues where humans, rodents compete for body parts

Inside Nigeria’s morgues where humans, rodents compete for body parts

Nigeria’s morgues

A private morutary at Finija, Satelitte, Lagos. Photo: Chijioke Iremeka

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

For years, suspicions of ritualistic activities perpetrated by corrupt mortuary attendants have haunted grieving families whose loved ones were returned without vital body parts. But in a chilling twist that reads like a horror script, this investigation by CHIJIOKE IREMEKA uncovers a grotesque reality: in some poorly maintained mortuaries, alongside suspected human atrocities, ravenous rats feast on corpses, gnawing away at their dignity

What was meant to be a solemn farewell turned into a heartbreaking morning of chaos for the family of late Mrs Angela Nyam, whose remains were deposited in a morgue at the old site of the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau State.

Early in the morning, precisely at 7 a.m., a quiet crowd assembled at the hospital’s mortuary along Murtala Mohammed Way, preparing to accompany the late Nyam to her final resting place at the Evangelical Church Winning All, Rusau village.

But their mourning was suddenly disrupted when members of her family, who had always raised concerns over the service at the centre, noticed something was wrong.

With this pointer, they demanded that the body be examined before leaving. It was discovered that her face had been mutilated.

“It wasn’t the way we left it. We opened the casket after she was prepared for the funeral service, and parts of her face were gone,” one of the older family members, who was barely able to hold back tears, Joy Nyam, recounted.

Specifically, she said her lips and parts of her eyes appeared mutilated.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that as word of the alleged corpse tampering got out, emotions flared and what started as whispers quickly grew into loud cries.

Youths in the area, many of whom had gathered in solidarity with the grieving family, began to protest, hurling stones while sympathisers fled for their safety.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that even a cleric who tried to intervene was injured in the fray, but the violence died down only after police intervention.

Amid the unrest, one mortuary attendant, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisal, said, “It wasn’t human tampering; it was rats.  Rats have been chewing on their bodies.

“The cold rooms broke down in 2015, and nothing has been done since. We have no electricity. No working freezers. We are doing our best with embalming, but it is not enough.”

According to the hospital official who was nearly lynched for attempting to calm the situation, multiple bodies have shown similar signs of damage.

A senior hospital worker backed his claim, saying, “It was done by rats. That’s the truth. The family accused someone of trying to remove an eye. But both eyes are intact. The management knows this.”

Despite these confessions, the hospital’s official statement tells a different story.

“The attention of the Management of the Jos University Teaching Hospital was drawn to unfounded rumours… This is to clarify that the rumour has no basis,” read the statement signed by the hospital’s Protocol and Public Relations officer, Bridget Omini.

Our correspondent learnt that as the dust settled, the family of Nyam eventually buried her in a low-key ceremony in the evening, stripped of the community farewell they had planned.

“She was a mother, a teacher, a woman of faith. We just wanted to lay her to rest with dignity. Now, we have more pain to carry to carry in our hearts,” said her eldest son, identified as Mr P. Nyam.

As Nyam’s loved ones grieved, they did so with the painful knowledge that their goodbye was tainted, not just by sorrow, but by a system that failed them when it mattered most.

In a related development, a dramatic incident unfolded a few weeks ago at a mortuary facility between Afoukwu and Abayi Okoroato village, along the Aba-Ikot Ekpene highway, in the Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State.

According to a report by The Daily Crucible on April 2, 2025, the day began like any other: a family arrived at the mortuary to retrieve the body of their son, who had passed away.

Unaware that their grief would soon be compounded by horror, the family and sympathisers proceeded to examine the body in preparation for the funeral.

The report stated that during this process, they discovered one of the deceased man’s testicles was missing.

The unsettling discovery marked the beginning of a chain of events that turned the small mortuary into a battleground.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that three mortuary attendants in charge narrowly escaped being lynched by irate youths following the discovery.

Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with some youths destroying buildings and vandalising property.

According to an eyewitness quoted by The Daily Crucible, “We didn’t know that this mortuary was involved in such evil practices; people had been suspecting them. It is an abomination in Igbo land to sever the body part of a dead person.

“Now, we have seen what he has done and why his business is flourishing. He was operating his mortuary business in that abandoned filling station. He and his attendants will answer for their crimes.”

Residents reportedly expressed shock and disgust at the discovery, emphasising that tampering with the body of the dead is considered a taboo Igbo culture.

It was also gathered that many families who had previously deposited their loved ones at the mortuary rushed to retrieve their bodies, fearing that similar mutilations may have occurred.

Police officers from the Eastern Ngwa Division in Umuobiakwa intervened to restore order and arrested the three mortuary attendants who had been detained by the youths during the violent confrontation.

“The incident has left the community in disbelief, and authorities are investigating the matter to determine how and why the body parts were removed,” the report added.

Mortuary

Source: News24

Rats to blame

However, in a startling revelation, Douglas Amahibe, a former manager at one of the largest mortuaries in Abia State, exposed a chilling truth that casts a long shadow over the mysterious disappearances of body parts in Nigerian mortuaries.

According to the mortician, it is not ritualists, as many have feared, but ravenous rats that are responsible for up to 90 per cent of such disturbing incidents.

His grim revelation shifts the blame away from dark rituals and places it squarely on the shoulders of decay, neglect, and systemic mismanagement.

Amahibe traces the root of the problem to poor infrastructure, inadequate funding, substandard embalming chemicals like formaldehyde, and a glaring lack of accountability.

These factors, he said, have created a perfect storm for rats to thrive, while the dead remain vulnerable.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, Amahibe painted a disturbing picture of how decomposing bodies, sometimes stored in facilities without proper refrigeration or security, become easy targets for rodents.

The mortician noted that in such places, the remains are left exposed, with rats freely gnawing away at any part they can reach.

“This revelation doesn’t just debunk myths, it exposes a fundamental failure of our public health and sanitation systems. I won’t deny that some mortuary attendants or owners may be involved in unethical practices,” he admitted.

“But I think Nigerians deserve to understand what truly leads to missing body parts. I was once part of the management team of one of Abia State’s biggest mortuaries, and I know for a fact that mutilations are often caused by rats.”

Amahibe explained that corpses are preserved using formaldehyde, a chemical that slows decomposition.

But many facilities rely on cheap, locally produced alternatives that fail to preserve bodies effectively, he said.

“The best formaldehyde is imported from China,” he noted. “The ones made in Nigeria simply don’t do the job.”

“As imported chemicals have become very expensive, most mortuary owners now resort to using locally produced alternatives. Those who can still afford foreign chemicals often dilute them with water before application.”

He told our correspondent that regardless of how secure a mortuary building might be, rats will always find a way in, as they perceive corpses as meat. He noted that as mortuary owners increasingly cut corners to maximise profit, rodent infestations become common and inevitable.

Amahibe emphasised that rats typically target soft tissues such as the ears, nose, lips, fingers, toes, and both male and female sex organs.

“A skilled mortician would inject embalming chemicals directly into these sensitive areas using a syringe to prevent decay and deter rats. I can confidently say that 90 per cent of missing body parts are caused by rats,” he insisted.

Rebuilding missing body parts

Addressing the issue of mutilated corpses, the mortician explained that some mortuaries employ trained morticians capable of reconstructing damaged areas using a mixture of pounded soap and charcoal.

He said that mortuaries without such professionals often hire external experts, who also use makeup in matching skin tones to paint over reconstructed areas ahead of family viewings or burials.

“I once saw a mortician rebuild an entire head and face using only a photo provided by the deceased’s family after the individual died in a car accident. It’s time our people let go of all the fairy tales and superstitions surrounding mortuaries.

“The only way to truly prevent this is for families to bury their loved ones immediately and hold memorials or celebrations later. As long as we continue to store corpses in mortuaries, rats will continue to feast on them, and we’ll keep accusing each other unjustly.

“Recently, three mortuary attendants narrowly escaped being beaten to death due to accusations stemming from missing body parts. What I don’t understand is why mortuary owners are not speaking out to inform grieving families that rats are the culprits,” Amahibe said.

He warned that unless urgent steps are taken to address the situation, bereaved families would continue to endure the double tragedy of grief and desecration, while the dead remain defenceless in a failing system.

Unending controversies

The issue of missing body parts in Nigerian mortuaries has become a troubling and recurring problem, triggering public outrage and fueling suspicions of dark, ritualistic practices.

 Families mourning their loved ones have been horrified to discover mutilated remains, with missing tongues, eyes, genitals, and internal organs.

In many cases, the blame has been placed on mortuary attendants, who are accused of selling body parts to cultists or ritualists for profit.

 While some mortuary workers attribute the mutilation to rodents or poor preservation, several disturbing incidents across the country suggest more sinister motives.

In 2018, The Nation reported that three mortuary attendants, Michael Olusegun, Oluseyi Olamide, and Adetunji Aliyu, were accused of removing a dead woman’s heart and chopping off her wrists at a hospital in Ikorodu, Lagos.

Olusegun (65), Olamide (41), and Aliyu (45) were arraigned before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on a two-count charge of conspiracy and misconduct regarding a corpse.

Prosecuting Superintendent of Police, Roman Unuigbe, alleged that the defendants committed the offences on November 16 at St. Raphael Divine Mercy Hospital in Ijede, Ikorodu.

 In another disturbing case in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, angry youths demanded an explanation from the mortuary management after discovering that a toe was missing from their loved one’s body. Tensions escalated as the community sought answers.

Rats only nibble – Graduate mortician

A chemical engineer-turned-mortician, who manages Finija Mortuary in Satellite Town, Lagos, Kayode Adekunle, however, disagreed with Amahibe’s claim, pointing out that while rats can nibble on corpses, they don’t consume entire limbs or organs without being noticed.

When Saturday PUNCH visited his facility, he was seen preparing two bodies for burial out of 48 currently under his care.

Adekunle said, “If rats can bite a living person’s leg while they sleep, it’s not surprising that they might nibble on a corpse. But they don’t consume whole parts. They usually go for the toes, and even then, they only nibble. It’s similar to how they eat food – they sample it, not devour it.”

He also disagreed with the claim that rats are responsible for 90 per cent of missing organs in mortuaries, citing his 19 years of experience.

“If any mortician tells you rats ate an entire organ, arrest him. I have never seen a case where rats ate a complete testicle, an entire breast, or a woman’s private parts. When such things happen, it’s usually due to human interference—specifically, mutilation by mortuary attendants.”

He added, “Some people do approach morticians to buy body parts, offering money. But God forbid that I’d ever be involved in that. I make more than enough money from this job. Apart from my salary, I earn five times that amount monthly from other mortuary services.

Related News

 ValueJet to begin flight operations to Banjul

 Nigeria has more poor people than China, Indonesia, Vietnam combined - Peter Obi

 Atiku's critics are working for their stomach, not Nigeria —PDP chieftain

“For instance, people whose wives give birth at the hospital often call me to bury the placenta, and I charge at least N20,000. My wife, who is a nurse, refers such cases to me. So, I make good money here.

“At the moment, I am caring for over 48 corpses. Two are scheduled for release tomorrow (Thursday). What I earn is sufficient, there’s no need to tamper with human remains.”

I’ve been asked to sell ‘mortuary water’

Adekunle also disclosed that some individuals have approached him, not for body parts, but for water used in washing corpses, popularly called ‘mortuary water’, due to the belief that it can be useful for rituals.

The mortician said he had always declined such requests.

“People have come to me asking for ‘mortuary water,’ claiming it brings business success. I always refuse. The end of such practices is often tragic.

“So, if anyone tells you that rats consumed an entire breast or manhood, that person clearly doesn’t understand this profession. With the strength of the chemicals we use, not even flies, let alone rats, can come near the bodies,” he stressed.

“Yes, embalming materials have become more expensive, but it’s manageable. I bought a 25-litre drum of embalming chemicals on Monday for N49,000, and I can use that for four or five corpses.

“At our headquarters, embalming costs around N200,000, depending on the size and condition of the body. But here, I charge N120,000. On average, I spend about N12,000 per corpse. So, if I deduct N12,000 from N120,000, would you say I’m running at a loss with N108,000 in profit per body?

“This mortuary has been running for over 19 years. There’s a lot of money in this business. I can boldly tell you that rats can’t eat embalmed corpses—not even those preserved using dry embalming. You might see such issues with those who still embalm bodies using hot drinks, which is an outdated method. Yes, hot drinks can be used, but the effect doesn’t last.

“Rats can’t enter my mortuary and stay long enough to eat a corpse. You can see that the doors are open now, but once evening comes, I shut them to prevent rats from coming in. If I notice any sign of rats, I immediately set traps.”

‘Mistake that almost cost us our lives’

In a shocking case of mistaken identity, Adekunle recalled a mortuary mix-up that nearly ended in tragedy.

“One time, we mistakenly released body number 178 to a family instead of 187. The family was in a hurry; they were travelling to the eastern part of the country for a burial and didn’t inspect the body properly.

There was no lying-in-state, just a direct burial. The body was transported to Nsukka and buried.”

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the mistake only came to light four days later, when another family arrived to prepare their loved one’s body for burial.

“That was when we realised the last body we released wasn’t theirs. It was a costly error that nearly ruined us,” he recounted.

“It took close to a million naira to rectify the mistake. Without swift action, it could have cost us our freedom, or even our lives. People would never believe it was an honest mistake. They would assume we sold the body for rituals.

“To fix the issue, we quickly rented an ambulance, bought another casket, carried the correct body and travelled to the community in Enugu State. We paid all the necessary fees to the villagers, performed the required rites, and exhumed the earlier body. We then buried the correct corpse in the same grave and brought body 187 back to Lagos.

“Fortunately, the body hadn’t started decomposing. We treated and prepared it again. The family never found out. It was a massive error,” he said solemnly.

Morticians, rituals, and mystery of missing body parts

Also not aligning with the claim that rats are responsible for missing body parts in mortuaries, trained mortician Solomon Orogo, who has worked in several facilities, including the Isolo General Hospital, Lagos, said embalming chemicals make bodies impenetrable to rodents.

“Do you know what formaldehyde is? It’s a powerful chemical. When used, not even flies will come near. It can kill rats, too. So, how can a rat eat a body preserved with that? Pour it on a corpse, and it immediately shrinks,” he explained.

According to Orogo, these disappearances are often linked to ritual practices, not rodents.

“Yes, in certain traditional belief systems, specific human body parts like the skull, heart, and genitals are believed to possess spiritual power. People seeking wealth, protection, or supernatural strength may use them in rituals,” he blurted.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that although these beliefs lack scientific credibility, they remain deeply rooted in certain cultural and occult practices.

“We receive daily requests for mortuary water and body parts. That, I can confirm. At the private mortuary where I worked, we never experienced rats eating corpses. We never left bodies on the floor. Once a body arrives, it is embalmed and stored in a refrigerator. I never saw a single rat inside the mortuary. So, how could rats eat a body locked inside a fridge?”

Orogo added, “Isolo General Hospital’s mortuary, for instance, was one of the best. It was always clean and rat-free. I strongly disagree with the claim that rats are responsible for missing parts.”

He pointed out that a black market for human body parts exists, often driven by ritual demands.

Poorly paid morticians, he said, may be tempted by the lure to make fast money.

‘Mortuary water’ in meals makes it addictive

Orogo also revealed that one of the most sought-after items is ‘mortuary water’. Noting that certain cultures believe it has mystical properties that enhance business and attract fortune.

“People approach mortuary staff offering money for just a small amount of it, believing it brings spiritual favour, financial success, or influence,” he further said.

According to him, some restaurants have allegedly purchased mortuary water for food preparation, convinced it will ‘charm’ customers into becoming addicted to their meals.

“They believe that using mortuary water for rituals will make customers crave their food and keep coming back,” he said with a smirk on his face.

Rats can’t eat embalmed bodies – Chemical pathologist

In response to claims that rats are responsible for 90 per cent of missing body parts in mortuaries, Saturday PUNCH consulted histopathologists, medical doctors, and scientists specialising in the study of tissues and cells, as well as those who perform autopsies, to provide more insights.

One of them, a Professor of Chemical Pathology and Immunology at Benue State University, Makurdi, Simeon Adebisi, emphasised that rats are not carnivorous animals and, therefore, cannot consume human bodies.

“A carnivorous animal primarily eats meat for sustenance, but rats don’t fall into this category. If you say rats can bite humans, I would agree, but eating human bodies, whether dead or alive, is not possible,” he insisted.

“The idea that a rat could eat an embalmed human body in the mortuary is more fiction than reality. Even carnivorous animals can’t eat an embalmed body.”

Adebisi further pointed out that formaldehyde, the chemical used in embalming, is too strong for any animal, including carnivorous ones.

“If you are not a pathologist and you enter a mortuary where formaldehyde is being used, you will run away. The chemical is so potent that even you, as a human, will struggle to endure it. So, rats can’t eat an embalmed body,” he further clarified.

A Lagos-based Forensic Pathologist, Dr Ifeanyi Umeh, also dismissed the idea of rats feeding on embalmed bodies, stating that embalming fluid is toxic to animals and that rats instinctively avoid the strong chemical odour.

“The notion that rodents would selectively eat genitals or eyes from a preserved body is biologically and logically unsound,” he said.

These experts’ accounts raise further suspicions that some mortuary staff might be deliberately mutilating corpses and harvesting body parts for profit, often tied to ritualistic practices.

Costly formaldehyde

An artisan mortician based in the riverine area of Ogbaru in Anambra State, Mr Joseph Otubo, revealed that in some local mortuaries across Nigeria, hot alcoholic drinks such as gin or rum are used as part of the embalming process.

While this practice might not officially have a scientific root, Otubo explained that some embalmers resort to it, particularly in low-resource settings where standard embalming chemicals are too expensive or unavailable.

“I use hot drinks and locally made gin (sapele water) to embalm, but not always. When the body needs to be buried immediately, I don’t use formaldehyde; I use hot drinks instead. Other morticians who use hot drinks for embalming say it is effective but doesn’t last long,” he said.

Otubo noted that the high alcohol content acts as a temporary preservative, slowing down the decomposition process for a short period.

He noted that this method is particularly useful for short-term preservation when families plan to bury their loved ones within a few days of death.

“In these cases, the alcohol helps reduce odour, stiffens the body slightly, and gives enough time to conduct wake-keep or funeral rites. Though this is not the standard chemical for preservation, we find it cheap and affordable. Apart from that, you’ll find hot drinks everywhere in riverine areas. We discovered it works, so we use it,” Otubo explained.

Professionals acknowledge that this method is ineffective for long-term preservation.

A manager at a funeral home in Asaba, Delta State, Chinedu Agumadu, noted that, unlike formaldehyde-based chemicals, alcohol doesn’t penetrate deeply into the tissues or prevent internal decay.

“As a result, decomposition eventually sets in, especially in warmer climates,” he added.

Agumadu explained that with a strong chemical mixture, rats will not approach the body, but may nibble if it is not properly preserved with formaldehyde.

Dry embalming and risk of rodent infestation

In some Nigerian mortuaries, particularly those that are overcrowded or under-resourced, morticians use a method known as dry embalming.

This involves drying out human bodies and stacking them upright against walls outside refrigeration units.

This is often the practice with unclaimed bodies or those scheduled for delayed burials that can sometimes stretch into months or even years.

“Dry embalming involves treating the body with strong preservatives and leaving it exposed to air until it hardens. Over time, the body becomes stiff, dehydrated, and shrunken, almost mummified in appearance. This method makes it difficult for rodents to access the body,” Agumadu explained.

However, he acknowledged the challenges of re-preparing a dry-embalmed body for burial.

“A body that has been dry-embalmed becomes rigid and difficult to handle. Families often ask how the body will be softened again for proper dressing and burial rites. We attempt to rehydrate the body using warm water, oils, or chemical solutions, but the results are rarely close to natural,” he added.

Human parts are most potent in rituals – Witchdoctor

Confirming the ritualistic use of human-related materials, a native doctor known for his mysticism in Anambra State, Adigo-Ogidi, stated that anything can be used for rituals, but human parts hold particular spiritual potency.

“Anything connected to humans has a strong potency when used for rituals. Humans are the highest beings with a soul that can be invoked during rituals. Nothing is greater than a man’s soul,” he explained.

“That’s why when people seek extraordinary powers or fortune, they turn to human sacrifices or body part rituals, despite it being against humanity. Even in our world, life is sacred; destroying it comes with severe consequences.”

However, Adigo-Ogidi claimed that he abstains from using human parts in his practice due to the grave consequences attached to it.

“There are actions we take that we eventually have to pay for. Some people have chosen their path for power and wealth, but they are prepared to pay the ultimate price. I try to respect natural laws, no matter the odds surrounding me,” he said.

Interestingly, Adigo-Ogidi also revealed that some native doctors use mortuary water and human excreta for certain charms, particularly those aimed at boosting sales.

“Yes, water from corpses can be used to make ‘boom charms’ for traders. Even human excreta can be used and placed at the entrance of a shop. Symbolically, just as flies gather around human waste, customers are drawn in great numbers to the shop because of the ritual,” he revealed.