Governor Babatunde Fashola gave the approval during a meeting with delegates of the South African government following complaints that the bodies were being held for too long.
Fashola said
his government had no reason to delay the handing over of the bodies in
line with the South African culture and traditions.
He
said, “We regret that this happened. Unfortunately, I also managed such
an issue during the Dana plane crash and I understand the anxiety of
families who want closure and the religious undertone as well. Our
responsibility is to ensure that families get closure. And those
cultures exist here. I know that this is an issue that has attracted
global attention.
“We cannot at this
time get the process wrong because if we release a body, we want to
ensure that each family takes the body of their relative. It will be
unpardonable for us to make mistakes.
“And
the choice of South Africa for the test was a special decision to make
the process easier for South Africans who bore the bigger brunt of the
tragedy. So, since the relatives were in South Africa, it was easier to
use a laboratory in the country, where we could easily take samples from
the deceased’s families for the test. It was meant to further
demonstrate what our intentions were.
“We
have no reason to deny you the right to take those 54 bodies, you have
my word, you can take them whenever you are ready to do so. It is left
for you to decide whether to take them in batches or wait until we
conclude the exercise. But if you are ready, my team will ensure that
you take them without any delay.”
Fashola
noted that the coroner’s inquest was ongoing, to investigate the
disaster. He, however, emphasised that the inquest was not meant to
prosecute anyone.
No fewer than 116
people died when the guest house of the church collapsed on September
12, 2014. Among them were 81 South Africans, three Zimbabweans and one
from Democratic Republic of Congo.
On
the status of the bodies, Chief Medical Examiner of the state, Prof.
John Obafunwa, noted that 116 bodies were recovered and had been
subjected to a post-mortem examination such as finger printing,
photography, collection of samples and so on.
He
said out of the 116, they had been able to identify 70 through DNA
laboratory tests in South Africa. Out of the 70, 54 of them are South
Africans, the rests, from their names, are Nigerians, Beninoise,
Togolese and so on.
He said, “We had
to collect additional DNA samples to assist the laboratory. We’ve been
working together and talking to the lab. It is expected that more
results will come in while more than 70 have been identified.”
The
leader of the South African delegation to Nigeria, Mr. Jeff Radebe, had
earlier said that South-African culture and traditions demanded burial
within a week of bereavement.
He said,
“But today makes it two months since the incident, so I paid a
condolence visit to President Goodluck Jonathan two days ago, to convey
the message of our President and find ways of speeding up the processes
and reparations of the mortal remains of those 85 including those four
who carry South African passports even though they are not nationals of
our country.”
Radebe noted that
arrangements had been made to include the four, and take them to
Pretoria, from where three would taken to Harare and one to Kinsasa.
He
said, “The whole nation of South Africa is in mourning, especially the
families that have had to endure these two months of waiting in order to
bring closure to this whole incident.
“We
appreciate your government for the cooperation and our team have been
briefing us on the challenges of identifying the bodies. But the
bereavement was very tragic indeed and we have to get the bodies back to
South Africa.”
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