Mass Burial
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Nigerian governor approves mass burial for 103 victims of police and army fires during “ENDSARS” protest
Babajide Sanwoolu the governor of Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos has approved the mass burial of at least 103 protesters who were massacred by joint forces of the Nigerian Army and the police during the October 2020 mass protest against police brutality tagged #EndSARS.
According to a letter dated July 19 viral on the internet Sunday, by the Public Procurement Agency of the Lagos State Government and signed by the director-general Onafowote Fatai Idowu. The service of Messrs Tos Funeral Ltd, a private firm, was engaged at the cost of N61,285,000 to bury 103 bodies which were identified to be victims of the killings.
“Following review of your request and based on the information provided therein, the agency has “No Objection” to the award of contract to MESSRS TOS FUNERALS LIMITED at a total cost of N61,285,000 (Sixty-one million, two hundred and eighty-five thousand Naira only) for the mass burial for the 103, the year 2020 Endsars victims,” the letter read.
In 2021, the Lagos State Judicial Panel in its final report to Sanwoolu submitted said.
“The Panel found that the Nigerian Police Force deployed its officers to the Lekki Toll Gate on the night of the 20th October, 2020 and between that night and the morning of the 21st of October, 2020, its officers shot at, assaulted and battered unarmed protesters, which led to injuries and deaths. The police officers also tried to cover up their actions by picking up bullets.”
It concluded that the shootings could be described as a massacre.
Sanwoolu and the Nigerian Army 81 Division denied any shootings took place.
Efforts to reach the governor or his aides for comments have proved fruitless.
SARS is an acronym for Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious police unit that was scrapped by former President Muhammadu Buhari in the wake of the nationwide anti-police brutality protests.
Akowe with reports from Lagos.
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