Lagos State Government has debunked allegations that it approved N61,285,000 for the mass burial of 103 persons identified as 2020 #EndSARS victims.
The government has maintained that there was no casualty in the October 20, 2020 clash between #EndSARS protesters and security operatives at the Lekki toll gate.
On Sunday, a memo addressed to the Lagos State Ministry of Health was leaked. The memo dated July 19, 2023, captures steps for the processing of funds after approval by the governor.
Earlier, a ministerial tenders’ board meeting reportedly sat over the recommendations of the procurement planning committee, after which no objections were raised to the award of the mass burial contract to a funeral service provider.
The five-paragraph memo also directs that relevant taxes and deductions are remitted by the approved company.
In response, the Lagos State Ministry of Health confirmed the letter in a statement on Sunday evening but insisted that details were being misconstrued.
The permanent secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun 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 statement said, “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.
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“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.”
The statement noted that the Lagos State chief pathologist already told the panel set up to investigate the October 20, 2020 incident and police brutality that unclaimed bodies deposited with the state central morgue during the days immediately preceding and following the Lekki tollgate incident had no connection with the Lekki incident.
It added that after almost three years it called on members of the public to come identify bodies, but nobody responded to claim any of the bodies, necessitating the move to decongest the morgues by mass burial.
