Buried by mistake on July 25, 2026, following an identification mix-up at the Regional Annex Hospital , the remains of Papa Ngoya Déguimé were exhumed and returned to his family.
The case sparked considerable public outrage before being definitively solved. The body of Papa Ngoya, deceased and held in the morgue awaiting funeral arrangements, was mistakenly buried on Saturday, July 25, 2026, by another family who had come to claim the remains of their loved one. The error was only discovered two days later, as Papa Ngoya’s family was preparing to organize his funeral service, scheduled for the afternoon of Monday, July 27.
According to the hospital administration, the incident stemmed from a misidentification during the removal of the bodies. Those appointed by the other family to identify their relative were unable to do so correctly. Having lived far from the deceased for many years, they hadn’t seen him in a long time and unknowingly identified him as Papa Ngoya.
The mistake went unnoticed until Papa Ngoya’s relatives arrived at the morgue for the pre-funeral formalities. The family members who lived with the deceased immediately realized that the body they were to be shown was not that of their loved one. Alerted, the hospital administration immediately suspended operations and launched an internal investigation to determine the circumstances of the mix-up.
The investigation, conducted jointly with administrative and judicial authorities, quickly established the facts. The checks confirmed that Papa Ngoya’s body had been mistakenly given to another family, who had already buried him. Hospital officials then took the necessary steps to rectify this error in strict accordance with regulations.
An exhumation permit was issued by the prefect, allowing the establishment of a commission composed of administrative authorities, relevant services, and the public prosecutor. The site visit was conducted in accordance with legal procedures.
During the exhumation, Papa Ngoya’s relatives immediately identified the remains, confirming the findings of the investigation. The body was then transferred to a new coffin before being officially handed over to his family, who were able to organize the funeral according to their traditions.
The hospital administration emphasizes that the family who carried out the initial burial also acknowledged the confusion after verification. Those who had identified the body admitted they had made a mistake due to their prolonged absence from the deceased. However, relatives who had lived with him were able to easily identify him during the exhumation.
Faced with the widespread reactions on social media, the funeral home’s management explained that they had deliberately delayed any public communication in order to prioritize a full resolution of the situation. According to them, it was essential that the body be returned to its rightful family before any official statement was made.
Management has announced that a detailed statement will be released outlining the exact circumstances of this mix-up and informing the public of the corrective measures that will now be implemented. Among the options being considered are strengthening procedures for identifying remains, increasing the involvement of relatives who lived with the deceased, and implementing more rigorous checks before any body is released.
With the return of Papa Ngoya’s body to his family and the holding of his funeral, this case is now considered closed. While the incident deeply affected the families involved, it primarily serves as a reminder of the importance of strictly adhering to identification procedures in morgues to prevent such confusion from recurring.
