Mortuary worker who handed corpse without an ear walks free

There was outrage at the Wum Mortuary after the corpse of a deceased lady was handed to her family without an ear. Relatives are seeking answers, while the mortuary worker is yet to face justice.

On October 10^th, 2023, a group of angry mourners crowded the Wum Mortuary in Cameroon’s restive North West Region after they came for corpse removal and found their deceased relative with a missing ear.

Relatives say they had already taken Akwa Eziagha Zenobia’s body for burial but discovered that one of her earrings was lying inside the casket.

“The earring on the right ear of the corpse had noticeably fallen. This pushed mourners to break through the glass frame of the casket to wear the earring. It was then that they noticed that her right ear was missing.”

The bereaved family immediately returned to the Wum General Hospital Mortuary for explanations. But they were not given a convincing explanation.

“The mortician is said to have told the family that the ear was eaten by a rat,” a source told local media.

Zenobia’s family members were not ready to give up. A huge protest ensued. Authorities arrived the scene to restore order “They said they have launched investigations, but we know how this will end; there will be no justice,” said the irate family.

Cameroonian authorities have opened findings into similar cases, and several families are still awaiting results.

In February this year, family members of a deceased 22-year-old internally displaced girl from the Northwest Region of Cameroon staged a protest at the Yaounde General Hospital after discovering that one of her thighs was operated on and stitched without their knowledge and her internal organs were missing.

Family members of Zenobia say justice must take its course. “The family has filed a complaint against the mortuary attendant.”

Amid anger and frustration, Zenobia was buried on October 10, 2023, without an ear. “Upon removal from the mortuary, the mortal remains of Akwa Eziagha Zenobia had a sad face, different from when she just died.”

Kate Bih contributed to this report