The Anambra State Government on Thursday banned public display of caskets and depositing of corpses in mortuaries for over two months.
The ban is a result of a law passed by the state House of Assembly to control burial and funeral activities across the state.
The state government further warned that any one who contravenes the provisions will be fined N100,000 or six months imprisonment or both.
The law stipulated that anyone found guilty of public display of caskets for fabrication and sale will pay a fine of N50,000, and could be liable to one month imprisonment or both.
The law also urged all mortuary attendants to report any corpse that has been in their mortuary for more than a month to the Minister of Health.
It further mandated that funeral and burial ceremony of indigenous deceased persons in the state must be registered with the town union of the Court, which the registration is N1,500.
Reacting to the new law, governor, Chukwuma Soludo, in a terse message applauded the assembly for the legislation.
The state governor said, “Anambra Burial Law is a very progressive law to remove the burden and pressure on the poor as well as liberate women from oppressive practices during burials.
“We celebrate ‘befitting living’ and only a decent funeral.”
