The Lagos State Government has taken steps to clarify the false reports circulating regarding a mass burial of 103 EndSARS victims. On Sunday, July 24th, 2023, misleading information spread concerning the burial arrangements for victims at the Lekki toll gate.
In response, the Lagos State Government has debunked these reports, emphasizing that the victims in question were not from the Lekki toll gate, where allegations of shooting took place. Instead, the casualties resulted from incidents in various areas across the state during the 2020 #EndSARS crisis.
The Lagos State Government issued a statement to address the situation, attributing the misinformation to miscreants with malicious intentions, seeking to create unrest within the state.
The misleading information was based on a misinterpretation and sensationalization of 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.” However, the government clarifies that the casualties mentioned in the letter were not from the Lekki Toll Gate but from incidents in Fagba, Ketu, Ikorodu, Orile, Ajegunle, Abule-Egba, Ikeja, Ojota, Ekoro, Ogba, Isolo, and Ajah areas of Lagos State. These incidents also included a jailbreak at Ikoyi Prison.
After the #EndSARS violence, the Lagos State Environmental Health Unit (SEHMU) retrieved bodies from these areas, and the 103 mentioned in the document pertain to those victims, not those from the Lekki Toll Gate incident.
The statement also highlights that the Chief Coroner’s office invited the public to come forward to identify and claim their loved ones who had been lost or declared missing during the mentioned clashes. However, despite public advertisements and announcements, no one responded to claim any of the bodies. As a result, the bodies have remained unclaimed for almost three years, causing morgue congestion.
See also: #EndSARS: Sanwo-Olu Orders Payment Of N5m Damages To Assaulted Driver
To address the issue of morgue congestion, the Lagos State Government, under the approval of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, conducts periodic and regular decongestion exercises to free up space in mortuaries that hold unclaimed bodies.
The government urges the public to disregard the false information and appeals to well-meaning citizens to remain vigilant against misinformation and the attempts of malicious elements to disrupt peace and harmony in Lagos State.
- World’s Happiest Countries: Finland Tops The List, US Slips From Top 20 - March 20, 2024
- President Tinubu Appoints Zubaida Umar as the New NEMA’s DG - March 16, 2024
- Niger State Declares Five-day Holiday to Monitor Ramadan Feeding - March 16, 2024
