No Longer at Ease for the Living and the Dead

26 Apr 2020

Hi Folks,

I am sure you are wondering why it is no longer at ease for the living and the dead especially in Lagos, Nigeria.

Apologies for not saying hello in my opening but the situation at hand doesn’t really leave room for that, I am sure you won’t blame me.

Recently, the number of deaths in a particular part of the country spiked just like the Corona Virus cases is increasing in number.

The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic has created more that enough trouble for the dead and here is why:

The mortuaries in Lagos are filled beyond capacity, as families do not want to bury their dead without the attendant ceremonies that is customary to most Nigerians.

Most funeral services have families and friends of the deceased in attendance but because of the effect of the lock down and social distancing, some bodies have remained in the morgue for as long as six weeks or more.

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The Lagos state government have however, ordered an ultimatum that families must remove their relatives for burial or risk having them included in government’s mass burial.

You will agree with me that it is no longer at ease for the dead.

Do you think it is actually necessary for families to keep their dead in the morgue for long?

For the living, the rate of increase in number of cases of Covid-19 is becoming alarming. Now Nigeria reports four figures, indicating that transmission is more in the communal level.

How to prepare for coronavirus: Social distancing helps fight COVID-19
Credit: Elpaso Times

Citizens are not adhering to the social distancing instructions and most have still not come to terms with the realities of Corona Virus disease.

Fears are rising that the medical facilities available may not be sufficient to cater for the population when the pandemic gets to full scale. Already, some hospitals have shut down operations to prevent exposing patients to a bigger risk of the Corona Virus Disease.

With the situation above, it is certainly not the best of times for the living as you don’t know where the Corona Virus attack may be coming from.

Whatever the situation, do your best to stay safe. Remember to extend a hand of love to that your neighbor who is having a challenge keeping body and soul together at this time.

Ramadan Kareem to all Islamic faithfuls across the world.

Yours,

Ilupeju B