The Lagos State Government has reacted to media reports that it is planning a mass burial for 103 EndSARS protesters who were killed by the Nigerian Army at the Lekki tollgate on the night of October 20, 2022.
This is sequel to a letter from the Lagos State Government Public Procurement Agency titled: ‘Letter of No Objection – Mass Burial for the 103 victims of the year 2020 ENDSARS protest’ which hit the internet on Sunday, July 23.
According to the letter, the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led government contracted the services of Messrs Tos Funeral Ltd, a private firm, at the cost of N61,285,000 to bury 103 bodies of EndSARS victims.
Most Nigerians on social media claimed that the bodies scheduled for mass burial were that of protesters killed by the Nigerian Army at the Lekki Tollgate on 20 October 2020 during the infamous EndSARS protest against police brutality.
But in a swift response, the Lagos State Ministry of Health dismissed the claim describing it as a ploy by mischief makers to stir public disaffection against the Sanwo-Olu administration.
The letter pointed out that the state government had approved 103 bodies recovered across the state for the mass burial.
The ministry’s permanent secretary, Olusegun Ogboye, maintained that none of the bodies were recovered from the Lekki tollgate area.
He insisted that it approved the 103 unclaimed bodies for mass burial three years after the incident due to the need to decongest the morgue.
“The 103 bodies were picked by the Lagos State Environmental Health Unit (SEHMU) in the aftermath of #EndSARS violence and community clashes at Fagba, Ketu, Ikorodu, Orile, Ajegunle, Abule-Egba, Ikeja, Ojota, Ekoro, Ogba, Isolo and Ajah areas of Lagos state,” the statement announced.
“There was also a jailbreak at Ikoyi Prison. The 103 casualties mentioned in the document were from these incidents and not from Lekki Toll-gate as being alleged. For the avoidance of doubt, nobody was retrieved from the Lekki toll gate incident.
“The list with their autopsies of provable cause and circumstances of death was duly submitted and testified to before the panel. This subpoena was at the request of lawyers who represented #EndSARS protesters and the chief pathologist complied. There was not a single finding in the report or ensuing white paper attributing the death of any named citizen listed in the autopsy to the Lekki incident.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu had alleged that only two protesters were killed during the attack on peaceful protesters with several others injured.
