THE mystery surrounding the the 66 bodies of babies found with a contractor to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital on June 30, 2010 remains to be solved. What started as a thriller at Agbowa-Ikoi road, Ogun State has left many questions unanswered even a year and months after.

It all began on a Saturday morning, between 11am and midday. Members of the Nigerian Police were conducting their routine check at Agbowa-Ikosi, along the Itoikin Ijebu-Ode Road, when they accosted a 50-year-old man with 66 bodies of babies. The suspect, Shuaibu Atanda, who was then residing at No. 26, Olodana street Bariga, turned out to be a contractor with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

According to him, he was contracted by the authority of the hospital to dispose of the unclaimed remains of the babies deposited there between March and April, 2010.

Speaking with security operatives and journalists when he was paraded on July 6, 2010, he said he was going to bury the bodies in the bush, although the teaching hospital had paid him to bury them in a cemetery. He presented documents to show that he was a genuine contractor with LUTH. Head Of Department (HOD) of Morbid and Anatomy, LUTH, Prof. Kunbi Banjo, also confirmed Atanda as an established contractor with the hospital.

Shuaib vehemently denied that he was going to sell the bodies for fetish purposes.

He alleged that the amount paid him by LUTH for biurial in a proper grave site was insufficient, adding that he used a huge chunk of the money in bribing many hospital workers to win their loyalty and guarantee more contracts.

On the contract that landed him in Police net, Atanda said he was paid N185,000 to bury the bodies at Atan Cemetery (now Yaba Vault), Akoka Yaba, Lagos, which he claims he had been using.

But investigations between July 8, 2010 and July 28, 2010 negated Atanda’s claim of burying bodies in Atan Cemetery.

According to Mr. Shola, Director of Planning,Yaba Vault,

“This is a private and re-branded vault. We don’t do mass burials. This is no more the controversial Atan cemetery of those days. This is a new and well-structured vault. I’m sorry we don’t have that kind of burial sites.”

“… there is no aiota of truth in what he is saying. May be he must have been burying in Atan Cemetery before our re-branding to Yaba Vault. The then Yaba Vault was known for shady deals. When he came to us late last year (2009), we directed him to the Local Government Chairman who refused to oblige him such services. We have no such working relationship with him. We don’t offer such’’.

A visit to the cemetery at Obalende produced a similar result. Officials at Obalende explained that such a business would require the Police being involved thus they do not render such cumbersome services as mass burials.

Revelations so far have proved Shuaibu Atanda’s claim to be false.

It is clear that were Shuaib to bury the bodies in Atan cemetery as claimed, the N185,000 given him by LUTH wouldn’t have been sufficient, especially after allegedly giving about N110,000 from the total sum as bribes to officials of the hospital.

During the parade before pressmen last year, Atanda had listed some LUTH workers and the amounts each of them allegedly collected on that particular contract. It amounted to N110,000

However, when asked why he had to leave Lagos and its surrounding bushes for Agbowa to bury the bodies before he was arrested, all he could say was “I’m sorry! I feel so bad about this.”

Attempts to get the authorities of the hospital to address the issue has been futile.

Asked for the process of evacuating the abandoned bodies and why the bodies found with Atanda were in ghana-must-go bags, Mrs. Ogunlewe, Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, of LUTH said she could not pass any comment on that because that was not her jurisdiction. She rather assured that investigations were on but didn’t know when they would be concluded.

But a consultant to the teaching hospital who pleaded anonymity said “a doctor only treats patients and when they die, the process of evacuating the bodies, whether claimed or unclaimed is another unit’s job not a doctor’s.” When told that the bodies found with the hospital’s contractor were in ghana-must-go-bags, he explained that “the bodies are not supposed to be kept in ghana-must-go-bags. I don’t know why the bodies were kept in such a bag.” the doctor noted.

Commenting on the allegation of bribery and corruption in her unit, Prof. Banjo said, “the allegation of corruption against some members of staff have been noted and investigation have begun,” adding that “anyone found guilty would be dealt with.”

Subsequently same year, five members of staff of the hospital’s Morbid and Anatomy department were allegedly suspended indefinitely.

Fresh attempts at unraveling the truth precisely a year and three weeks after the incident was futile.

Then Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba promised that the Police would investigate why Atanda had to travel such long distance to bury the bodies. But Mba was subsequently transferred to Lekki, Lagos while Samuel Jinadu took over from him. Mba refused to answer further questions on the case. “It will be intruding into another person’s job which isn’t right. Jinadu is competent, approachable and will be very willing to help so I will advise you contact him as regards this issue, “ he said.

Jinadu was willing to help but said he had to investigate the matter because it happened before he became the Police image maker.

However, when contacted on July 28, 2011 he said that based on his findings, no event of such (parading of Atanda Shuaib) ever occurred. But when told there were photographs taken on July 6, 2010, of the parade, he promised to probe further.

He called back on August 4, 2011 to explain that the case had been transferred to the Homicide Unit, State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba. He also named a Superintendent Agene of the Homicide Unit as the contact person for the case.

But when Agene was contacted same day, he said “no case of such ever got to this unit at any point in time. I remember that story very well because I read it in newspapers as you journalists reported it. If that case had gotten to this unit, there is no way I wouldn’t have seen it. I advise you see the Deputy Commissioner of Police, may be he has an idea about the case.”

But when contacted, the DC explained that he had barely spent two months in Panti. Besides, he said, he only read that story in the newspaper. He thus referred the matter to the Officer in Charge of Legal matters to find out if the matter was in court.

When the OC Legal was contacted same day, he referred the matter to the Officer in Charge of Homicide for confirmation if such a case existed in Panti.

However, OC Homicide, Superintendent Adenola said no case of such was ever transferred to his unit. He also explained that “I only read that story in the newspaper”.

Unfortunately, further investigation also revealed that Mr. Shuaib Atanda no longer resides at his Bariga residence. No one could give details of his whereabout.

But the questions remain:Where was Shuaib, the LUTH contractor actually headed with the 66 bodies the day he was apprehended? What had he been doing with other evacuated bodies prior to June 30, 2010 (the day he was apprehended) since Yaba Vault denied ever having a working relationship with him? What are the names of the LUTH members of staff (those sacked, suspended and punished) who were involved in the bribery scandal and to what extent were they involved and punished? What really happened to Atanda Shuaib after he was paraded on July 6, 2010 since there is no trace of him at home or in Panti where he is alleged to be? What really happened to that case since the Police PRO, Samuel Jinadu, claims it was transferred to Panti while all Officers contacted at the SCID allege they only read the story in newspapers? These are some of the questions still begging for answers a year and several months after.

Is Shuaib another “high profile” human spare parts dealer with connection in high places?

Next >
Author of this article: By Tobore Ovuorie

http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57651:on-the-trail-of-luth-contractor-caught-with-66-bodies&catid=3:metro&Itemid=558

There's a big moral problem in Nigeria.
I am sure He goes to church/mosque to pray.

Wonders shall never end.