Sanwo-Olu ‘Approves Mass Burial for EndSARS Protesters’ After Years of Denial

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has allegedly admitted the killing of at least 103 peaceful protesters by security forces during the October 2020 #EndSARS demonstrations and authorized their mass burial.

The #EndSARS protests were a nationwide movement against police brutality and human rights violations in Nigeria. The protests reached a climax on October 20, 2020, when soldiers and policemen opened fire on unarmed protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos, killing and injuring many.

Despite overwhelming evidence and eyewitness accounts, the Lagos State government and the federal government have consistently denied any responsibility or involvement in the massacre. They have also tried to cover up the evidence, intimidate the survivors and witnesses, and discredit the independent investigations.

However, a letter dated July 19, 2023, from the public procurement agency of Lagos State has revealed that the state government has contracted a private firm, Messrs Tos Funeral Ltd, to bury 103 bodies identified as victims of the killings. The contract is worth N61,285,000 (Sixty-one million, two hundred and eighty-five thousand Naira only).

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Why Sanwo-Olu’s Move Raises More Questions Than Answers

The revelation of the mass burial contract has raised more questions than answers about the role and motive of Governor Sanwo-Olu and his administration in the aftermath of the Lekki toll gate massacre.

– Why did Sanwo-Olu approve the mass burial of 103 protesters without informing their families or the public?

– How did the state government identify the 103 bodies as victims of the #EndSARS killings?

– Where are the bodies currently being kept and for how long?

– Why did Sanwo-Olu issue a white paper to reject the findings of the Lagos State judicial panel of inquiry, which confirmed that the incident was a massacre?

– Why did Sanwo-Olu ignore the call for identification of missing persons by the Lagos State government, which was met with fear and distrust by many affected families?

– Why did Sanwo-Olu ask citizens to “snap out of the incident” and “build back better” without acknowledging or addressing their grievances and demands for justice?

When contacted by Peoples Gazette for comments, Gboyega Akosile, the chief press secretary to Mr Sanwo-Olu, laughed and said that “the government will release its response soon.”

What We Know So Far About The Lekki Toll Gate Massacre

Despite the attempts by the Nigerian authorities to suppress the truth and silence the voices of justice, several credible sources have confirmed that the Lekki toll gate massacre was a premeditated and coordinated attack on peaceful protesters by security forces.

Some of these sources include:

– The Lagos State judicial panel of inquiry , which ruled that nothing could justify the war-grade violence unleashed on peaceful protesters, which led to the death of scores during the incident. The panel also found that the army refused to allow ambulances and medical help to get to injured protesters who were in need of them. The panel also added that the army stole the corpse of the protesters and wiped blood stains off the scene to hide evidence of its crime and hinder the investigation of the panel.

– The chief pathologist of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Professor John Obafunwa , who testified before the panel that at least 99 bodies were deposited in morgues across Lagos from the #EndSars protests, with several of them carrying bullet wounds, some blunt trauma, and some bruises. Of these 99 bodies that were confirmed to be that of protesters, three were successfully traced to have been brought in from the toll gate.

– A video investigation published by CNN , which corroborated several videos that were taken during the incident and confirmed that the men of the Nigerian Army and police indeed shot directly at protesters using live bullets.

– A report by Amnesty International , which documented how security forces killed at least 12 people at Alausa and Lekki on October 20. The report also exposed how authorities failed to protect protesters from violent attacks by thugs and how they clamped down on protesters with arbitrary arrests, torture, and intimidation.

The Quest For Justice Continues

The approval of mass burial for #EndSARS protesters by Governor Sanwo-Olu is not only an admission of guilt but also an insult to their memory and their families. It is a blatant attempt to erase their sacrifice and silence their demand for justice.

The #EndSARS movement is not over. The quest for justice continues. The Nigerian people will not forget or forgive those who killed their brothers and sisters in cold blood. They will not rest until justice is served and accountability is ensured.

The world is watching. History is recording. The truth will prevail.

Peoples Gazette