The Coalition of #EndSARS Protesters and Supporters has accused Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State of misinforming the public about the mass burial of 103 bodies of EndSARS protesters who tragically lost their lives during the October 2020 state-sponsored violence and killings at the Lekki Toll Gate. The group called for the immediate suspension of the planned mass burial, asserting that the state government was insincere about the killings that occurred during the protests.
According to the Coalition, Governor Sanwo-Olu contradicted himself multiple times regarding the number of deaths at the Lekki Toll Gate, initially stating that nobody died, then mentioning one death, and finally acknowledging two deaths among the protesters. However, the group and investigative journalists believe that many people died at the Lekki Toll Gate, and the report of the Judicial Panel set up by Governor Sanwo-Olu established that a massacre occurred.
The group further accuses the Lagos State Government, the Nigerian military, and the police of being culpable in the massacre of peaceful protesters. The report noted that the military and police shot at peaceful protesters on October 20, 2020, and the military, with the involvement of the state governor, took away the bodies and corpses of the dead protesters to cover up the crime scene.
The Coalition demands that the Lagos State government suspend the planned mass burial, implement the recommendations of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry’s White Paper, and establish a one-month notice for citizens to access the 103 bodies to identify their loved ones. They also call for DNA mapping of all 103 bodies using a reputable private organization, compensation for the affected families, and therapy for the trauma caused.
The group asserts that it will continue to peacefully protest until justice prevails and that the government’s attempts to discredit their actions will not deter them.
