The Government of Lagos State has insisted that the approval for the mass burial of 103 corpses recovered in the wake of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests was not for bodies recovered from the Lekki tollgate.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the protracted nationwide #EndSARS protest occasioned violence with loss of lives in Lagos, which was the epicentre of the protest.
Of note was the alleged killing of protesters at the Lekki Tollgate by soldiers on the night of October 20, 2020, with the state setting up a commission of inquiry to probe the allegation.
In a statement on Sunday which was sighted by Africa Today News, New York, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, confirmed the authenticity of a leaked letter indicating planned mass burial for 103 corpses.
The letter, dated July 19, 2023, emanated from the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency and was addressed to the Ministry of Health.
The letter, signed by the Director-General of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Mr. Onafowote Idowu, revealed the approval of the sum of N61,285,000 for the mass burial.
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It read, ‘We refer to your letter dated July 13, 2023 with Ref No: LSMH/G/NS/013-1/23 in respect of the above subject matter.
“Following our review of your letter and the documents attached, we note the following: I. Mr Governor’s Approval; II. Minutes of Ministerial Tenders Board; III. Meeting of Procurement Planning Committee; IV. Sign-off
“Following a 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 only for the mass burial for the 103, the year 2020 EndSARS victims.’
However, in the follow-up statement which was obtained by Africa Today News, New York titled Re: Mass Burial Of Endsars Victims (Mischief Makers At Work), the Ministry of Health said the corpses for mass burial were not recovered from the Lekki Tollgate.
The Perm Sec, Ministry of Health, Ogboye said, ‘The attention of the Lagos State Government has been drawn to some social media publications about a purported mass burial plan for casualties of the 2020 #EndSARS incident. 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.
‘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 Tollgate as being inferred in the mischievous publications.
‘For the records, the Lagos State Environmental Health Unit 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 Tollgate as alleged. For the avoidance of doubt, no body was retrieved from the Lekki Tollgate incident.’
He said contrary to the narrative weaved around the recently approved mass burial, the #EndSARS panel subpoenaed the Lagos State Chief Pathologist to produce full records of unclaimed bodies of dead deposited with the state central morgue during the days immediately preceding and following the event at Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020.