Ifeanyi Ibe
The Lagos State government has been called upon to stop its planned mass burial of 103 EndSars victims.
Amnesty International (AI) made the call following the state government’s response to a leaked memo
addressed to the state Ministry of Health by the state’s procurement agency which dwelt on the subject of the mass burial of victims of the End Sars protests in Lagos in 2020.
In a statement on Monday by the Director of Information, Isa Sanusi, the organisation called for an independent investigation into the development and an autopsy on the corpses. He also demanded that the identities of the victims be made public. Editorial: The Panel Report On Lekki Shooting And Nigerian Government’s Continuing Propaganda
Sanusi said, “The Nigerian authorities must urgently halt their plans to carry out a secret mass burial of #EndSars victims and instead carry out a thorough and independent investigation into the killings and ensure that those suspected to be responsible are brought to justice in fair trials.
“They must also carry out transparent coroner inquests and autopsies on the 103 #EndSars victims and publish their identities and the circumstances of their death.
“It is appalling that the Lagos State government has not even mentioned that it has held the bodies of 103 #EndSars victims in its custody since October 2020.”
Sanusi also demanded the immediate release of those being detained over their roles during the EndSars protests.
He further said that “The Nigerian authorities must also ensure that victims and their families are provided with access to justice and effective remedies, including adequate compensation.”
The government, however, has since reacted to the public outrage that followed the leaked memo.
It insisted that the victims for which the leaked memo was raised for their burial are not victims of the disturbing Lekki Tollgate shooting.
