Apia Solomon’s remains have been held at a hospital morgue in Nigeria for more than four years because no relative has come forward.
The Ghana High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, has put out a public appeal for help in tracing the family or next of kin of a Ghanaian man who died there more than four years ago.
The man has been named as Apia Solomon. The High Commission says he was born in Accra on March 6, 1960, and is believed to have come from Osu in the capital. He died on July 5, 2021, with cardiopulmonary failure given as the cause of death.
Worked at Nigeria's National Defence College
At the time of his death, Mr Solomon was working as a temporary civilian staff member at the National Defence College in Nigeria, a senior military training institution based in Abuja.
His remains are being kept at the morgue of the Nigerian Air Force Hospital in Abuja while burial arrangements remain on hold. Under normal practice, a mission cannot complete burial or repatriation arrangements for a citizen abroad without instructions from the family.
The Ghanaian Times reported that the High Commission issued a public announcement after its own efforts to locate his relatives failed.
Why the appeal matters
A Ghana High Commission is Ghana's diplomatic mission in a fellow Commonwealth country, the equivalent of an embassy. One of its routine duties is consular work: helping Ghanaians who run into trouble abroad, and handling cases where a Ghanaian dies outside the country.
When a Ghanaian dies abroad and no family can be traced, the body can remain in a morgue for a long time. That is what appears to have happened here, with Mr Solomon's remains in storage since 2021.
For Ghanaians living outside the country, including the large community in the United States, the case is a reminder of why it helps to register with the nearest Ghanaian mission and to make sure at least one relative at home has up-to-date contact details and knows where you live and work.
What happens next
The High Commission is asking anyone who knows Mr Solomon's family, friends or next of kin to get in touch with its office in Abuja. Once a relative is identified, decisions on burial in Nigeria or repatriation of the body to Ghana can be taken.
The announcement did not say whether Mr Solomon had any known dependants, how long he had lived in Nigeria, or what steps the mission had already taken to search for his relatives in Accra.
