The Lagos State Government has confirmed that it spent N62 million to conduct a mass burial for victims of the #EndSARS protest in 2020.
The state government, through the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health Olusegun Ogboye, however, clarified that those to be buried were not victims of Lekki tollgate.
Recall that some Nigerian youths had maintained that the government killed several protesters in Lagos during the nationwide protest. But the government has continued to deny the allegation.
However, in a recently-leaked memo, it was observed that the government is planning a mass burial for 103 people linked to anti-police protests.
Groups and individuals have continued to bash the government for its alleged role in the massacre of the protesters.
The statement read partly, “Peddlers of the news are deliberately misinterpreting and sensationalising a letter from the Lagos State Government Public Procurement Agency titled: Letter of No Objection – Mass Burial for the 103, the Year 2020 ENDSARS victims, to misinform the public, stir public sentiment and cause public disaffection against the Lagos State Government.
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“It is public knowledge that the year 2020 #EndSARS crisis that snowballed into violence in many parts of Lagos recorded casualties in different areas of the State and NOT from the Lekki Toll Gate as being inferred in the mischievous publications.
“For the records, the Lagos State Environmental Health Unit (SEHMU) picked up bodies 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. 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 alleged. For the avoidance of doubt, nobody was retrieved from the Lekki Toll Gate incident.”
It is still unclear when exactly the burials will take place, but some Nigerians are asking questions as to why it took nearly three years to bury the bodies.
The Permanent Secretary maintained that the bodies are the unclaimed ones in the government morgue causing congestion.
The Government, therefore, appeals to social media rumour mongers to please allow the hapless families of the unclaimed loved ones a deserved closure.