The Nigerian public is in an uproar following the leak of a memo revealing that the Lagos State government authorized $77,000 (£60,000) for a mass burial of 103 individuals allegedly linked to the historic 2020 #EndSars protest against police brutality.
Many Nigerians are expressing shock and disbelief, as they believe that the victims set to be buried were demonstrators who were allegedly killed by the army during the Lekki toll gate shooting on 20th October, a tragic event that occurred amidst the protests.
The exact number of casualties from the incident has been a contentious issue in Nigeria, with the military initially denying any fatalities. However, a Judicial Panel of Inquiry has since reported that nine protesters were killed, and four others were presumed dead.
Despite the leaked memo, the government refutes the claim that the 103 bodies are all from the Lekki incident, dismissing such interpretations as misleading. According to the permanent secretary to the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, the bodies were gathered from various locations across the state, amounting to at least 12 sites. These locations include areas affected by #EndSARS violence and community clashes, as well as the aftermath of a jailbreak at Ikoyi Prison.
The situation has sparked significant controversy and public outcry, with many demanding transparency and accountability from the government regarding the handling of these casualties related to the #EndSARS protests.
“Peddlers of the news are deliberately misinterpreting and sensationalizing a letter from the Lagos State Government Public Procurement Agency.”
He said the government had approved the mass burial after no families claimed the 103 bodies.
Tens of thousands of Nigerians took to the streets in October 2020 against police brutality and also called for the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) police unit to be disbanded.