Lagos Government Denies Purported Planned Mass Burial for EndSARS Victims
The Lagos State Government has dismissed reports circulating on social media regarding a planned mass burial for the victims of the 2020 #EndSARS protests. The government has described these reports as the work of mischief makers and has urged the public to disregard them.
Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, addressed the issue in a statement released on Sunday. He clarified that the reports were based on a misinterpretation of a letter from the Lagos State Government Public Procurement Agency, which had been titled Letter of No Objection – Mass Burial for the 103, the Year 2020 ENDSARS victims.
Dr. Ogboye emphasized that the casualties mentioned in the letter were not solely from the Lekki Toll Gate incident, as alleged in the misleading publications. The bodies had been retrieved from various areas across Lagos State, such as Fagba, Ketu, Ikorodu, Orile, Ajegunle, Abule-Egba, Ikeja, Ojota, Ekoro, Ogba, Isolo, and Ajah. It should be noted that there was also a jailbreak at Ikoyi Prison during this period.
Furthermore, the chief pathologist of Lagos State was subpoenaed by the #EndSARS Panel to present records of unclaimed bodies deposited in the state central morgue before and after the Lekki Toll Gate incident on October 20, 2020. The autopsies and the documented causes and circumstances of death were shared and testified before the panel. None of the findings attributed any of the listed citizens’ deaths to the Lekki incident.
After the #EndSARS violence, the Chief Coroner’s office invited the public to come forward if they had lost loved ones or had relatives declared missing between October 19th and 27th, 2020, in the areas mentioned earlier. However, no one came forward to claim the bodies. As a result, the morgues became congested, prompting the need to decongest them according to established medical and legal guidelines.
The Lagos State Government is appealing to individuals spreading rumors on social media to consider the families of the unclaimed victims who deserve closure. These false reports only serve to cause public disaffection against the government and impede the healing process for those affected by the 2020 protests.
It is crucial to approach such sensitive matters with the utmost respect and accuracy. As the Lagos State Government clarifies the facts surrounding the alleged mass burial, it is important for the public to seek reliable information and understand the truth behind the #EndSARS incidents.
