Despite Denial, Sanwo-Olu Orders Mass Burial of #EndSARS Protesters

Despite several denials of any victim at the Lekki toll gate, the Lagos State government under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved the mass burial of 103 victims of the #EndSARS protest which happened in 2020.

In a letter signed by Mr. Onafowote Fatai Idowu, the Director General of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency dated 19th of July 2023 revealed that the State government contracted the service of Messrs Tos Funeral Ltd, a private firm, at the cost of N61,285,000 to bury 103 bodies.

“Following review of your request and based on the information provided therein, the agency has “No Objection” to the award of contract to MESSRS TOS FUNERALS LIMITED at a total cost of N61,285,000 (Sixty-one million, two hundred and eighty-five thousand Naira only) for the mass burial for the 103, the year 2020 Endsars victims,” the letter read.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, appearing on National Television admitted that people were killed at the toll gate but days after, he made a U-turn and stated that nobody was killed at the toll gate.

On October 20, 2020, the Nigerian Army in collaboration with the Nigeria Police massacred unarmed youths who were protesting the killing, stigmatization, extortion, and brutality they faced at the hands of security operatives in the country.

The youths were shot at as they waved the national flag and sang the national anthem which was fortunately seen by the whole world through the Instagram live feed of DJ Switch on that night.

These led to the set up of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry in many States and the panel admitted that the refusal of the Army for ambulances to pass through worsened the chances of survival. The panel also established that the Army carted away the corpses of protesters and wiped off blood stains.

Meanwhile, the Chief pathologist of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Professor John Obafunwa, who testified before the Judicial Panel of Inquiry stated that at least 99 bodies were deposited in morgue across Lagos on that night and were traced to protesters at the toll gate.