The Lagos State Government has responded to a leaked memo that disclosed its approval of N61,285,000 for the mass burial of 103 individuals identified as victims of the 2020 EndSARS protests.
However, the government has asserted that these victims are not connected to the controversial Lekki Tollgate shooting, as some have speculated.
The memo, dated July 19, 2023, which detailed the steps for processing the funds following the governor’s approval, surfaced on social media, leading to widespread outrage. Nevertheless, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, confirmed the authenticity of the letter in a statement on Sunday evening, but he emphasized that its contents were being misconstrued.
According to Dr. Ogboye, the victims mentioned in the memo did not originate from the Lekki Tollgate incident. Instead, they were individuals who lost their lives during various instances of violence that took place after the EndSARS protests.
The Lagos State Environmental Health Unit (SEHMU) was responsible for recovering bodies from different areas, including Fagba, Ketu, Ikorodu, Orile, Ajegunle, Abule-Egba, Ikeja, Ojota, Ekoro, Ogba, Isolo, and Ajah in Lagos State. Furthermore, there was also a jailbreak at Ikoyi Prison during that period.
To dispel any doubts, the statement clarified that the 103 casualties mentioned in the document were victims of these incidents and were not connected to the Lekki Tollgate incident, as had been alleged. The government firmly stated that no bodies were retrieved from the Lekki Tollgate tragedy.
