Abomey-Calavi: the city hall warns about the presence of abandoned bodies in morgues

The city hall of Abomey-Calavi raised the alarm this Wednesday, August 6, 2025, through an official statement regarding a concerning situation: several bodies preserved in local morgues have been unclaimed for more than a year.

The morgues in question are notably those of the National University Hospital Center Hubert Koutoukou Maga (CNHU-HKM) of Cotonou, the Abomey-Calavi/So-Ava Zone Hospital, as well as the Angels Funeral Home.

Faced with the abnormal extension of the preservation of these bodies, the city hall is calling on the concerned families to come forward no later than August 11, 2025. According to the statement, the list of deceased identities is posted inside city hall, specifically on billboard No. 5 located in the main hall.

The mayor, Angelo Évariste Ahouandjinou, strongly urges the relatives of the deceased to approach, as soon as possible, police stations or the prosecutor’s office near the Court of First Instance of Abomey-Calavi for the necessary procedures.

The municipal authority specifies that this is a regulatory measure and emphasizes the importance of a rapid reaction to avoid burials without the presence of families. It calls for the responsibility and understanding of all for a dignified resolution of this sensitive situation.