The Lagos state government has addressed the reports circulating on social media about a purported mass burial plan for the casualties of the 2020 #EndSARS protests. In a press release signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Ogboye, the government stated that the news was deliberately misinterpreted and sensationalized to create mischief.
The government clarified that the alleged mass burial was not related to the Lekki Toll Gate incident, which has been a focal point of the #EndSARS protests. Instead, the casualties mentioned in the document were from various incidents that occurred in different parts of Lagos during the protests and community clashes.
The government highlighted that the Lagos State Environmental Health Unit (SEHMU) retrieved bodies from areas like Fagba, Ketu, Ikorodu, Orile, Ajegunle, Abule-Egba, Ikeja, Ojota, Ekoro, Ogba, Isolo, and Ajah. It also mentioned a jailbreak at Ikoyi Prison as part of the events that resulted in casualties.
The government emphasized that no body was retrieved from the Lekki Toll Gate incident. It further clarified that the #EndSARS Panel subpoenaed the Lagos State chief pathologist to provide records of unclaimed bodies from various incidents around the time of the Lekki Toll Gate event. The submitted list did not attribute any death to the Lekki incident.
After the #EndSARS violence, the office of the Chief Coroner invited the public to claim bodies or identify missing relatives from the clashes. However, no one responded to claim any of the bodies, leaving them unclaimed in the morgues for almost three years. The government stated that it is taking steps to decongest the morgues, following medical and legal guidelines.
The Lagos state government appealed to those spreading rumors on social media to allow the families of the unclaimed bodies to have closure. The government assured the public that it is committed to transparency and providing accurate information regarding the incidents surrounding the #EndSARS protests.
