A former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili has demanded an urgent response from the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu over a document circulating online concerning the controversial EndSARS protest.
The document had alleged that Sanwo-Olu approved the mass burial of 103 protesters who were claimed to have been massacred by joint forces of the Nigerian Army and the police during the October 2020 mass protest against police brutality tagged #EndSARS.
The document, which has gone viral online, surfaced almost three years after the government had denied there was brutal killing of unarmed protesters who were waving the Nigerian flag and chanting the national anthem when the military allegedly opened fire on them at the Lekki toll gate.
In a series of tweets on Sunday via her verified Twitter handle, the former Minister questioned if the Governor actually knew the State had a record of 103 dead bodies from the EndSARS shootings, demanding for an urgent response.
Ezekwesili, in a separate statement, also claimed that the nation’s public leaders have reduced the dignity of human life to zero, describing it as the most wickedest thing they have done to the citizen.
She added that she trembles at the number of investigations that the citizens would expect sensible governments to launch at all levels of governments in the near future.
She wrote, “Mr Governor of @followlasg , @jidesanwoolu , here is a document that has gone viral on social media, stating that your government procured services for mass burial of 103 corpses killed during the #EndSARS protest?
“Is this so?
“Mr Governor actually knew the State had a record of 103 dead bodies from the #EndSARS shootings?
“We need your urgent response.”
“I often shudder at the sheer number of inquisitions that Citizens would in the good future expect sensible governments at Federal and State levels to launch all over this country.
“The wickedest thing Nigeria’s variant of public leaders have done to citizens is to reduce the dignity of human life to ZERO. They shall someday surely account… if not on earth… in heaven before the Creator of Life”.
Channels Television had reported that tShe Lagos State Government has responded to a leaked memo revealing its approval of N61,285,000 for the mass burial of 103 persons identified as 2020 EndSARS victims, maintaining that the victims to be buried are not from the controversial Lekki Tollgate shooting.
The memo, dated July 19, 2023, capturing steps for the processing of funds after approval by the governor, surfaced on social media Sunday morning, sparking outrage.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Ogboye, confirmed the letter in a statement on Sunday evening, but insisted that details were being misconstrued.
The government official argued that the victims were from incidents of violence that occurred in the aftermath of the EndSARS protests.
Ogboye said the Lagos State Environmental Health Unit (SEHMU) picked up bodies in the aftermath of #EndSARS violence and community clashes.
The areas cited included Fagba, Ketu, Ikorodu, Orile, Ajegunle, Abule-Egba, Ikeja, Ojota, Ekoro, Ogba, Isolo and Ajah areas of Lagos State. Ogboye added that 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 being alleged. For the avoidance of doubt, no body was retrieved from the Lekki Toll Gate incident,” the statement read.
See the full statement below:
LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
PRESS STATEMENT
RE: MASS BURIAL OF ENDSARS VICTIMS (MISCHIEF MAKERS AT WORK).
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 sensationalizing 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 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 being alleged. For the avoidance of doubt, no body was retrieved from the Lekki Toll Gate incident.
Contrary to disingenuous 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 state central morgue during the days immediately preceding and following the event at Lekki tollgate on 20/10/20 . The list with their autopsies of provable cause and circumstances of death were duly submitted and testified to before the panel . This subpoena was at the request of lawyers who represented #EndSARS protesters and the chief pathologist complied . There was not a single finding in the report or ensuing white paper attributing the death of any named citizen listed in the autopsy to the Lekki incident.
In the aftermath of the #EndSARS violence, the office of the Chief Coroner invited members of the public through public adverts and announcement (November 18,2020, Punch and November 19,2020 THISDAY) who had lost loved ones or whose relatives had been declared missing between 19th and 27th October 2020 from various clashes as mentioned above, to contact the department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to help with identification of these casualties deposited in State-owned morgues. Relatives were to undergo DNA tests for identification purposes. It is important to state categorically that nobody responded to claim any of the bodies.However, after almost three years, the bodies remain unclaimed, adding to the congestion of the morgues. This spurred the need to decongest the morgues – a procedure that follows very careful medical and legal guidelines in the event that a relative may still turn up to claim a lost relative years after the incident.
The Government,therefore, appeals to social media rumour mongers to please allow the hapless families of the unclaimed loved ones a deserved closure.
Dr Olusegun Ogboye
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Health
July 23, 2023.
See the leaked memo below:
