The Lagos State Government has announced the suspension of its intended mass burial for the 103 bodies recovered following the aftermath of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests.
This decision comes in the wake of the considerable controversy sparked by the initial announcement in July.
Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, disclosed to Punch on Monday that the planned mass burial had been put on hold in response to the contentious reception it received.
A leaked memo dated July 19, 2023, had outlined the state government’s intention to conduct a mass burial for the 103 deceased individuals, which triggered significant backlash from human rights advocates and civil society organizations.
Amnesty International, a prominent human rights organization, and a group operating under the banner of the Coalition of #EndSARS Protesters and Supporters had called for the suspension of the proposed mass burial. Additionally, Amnesty International had urged the government to conduct transparent coroner inquests and autopsies on the 103 #EndSARS victims.
In response to these concerns, the state government, through Mr. Gboyega Akosile, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, assured that they would adhere to global best practices when carrying out the mass burial.
Providing an update on the situation, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy stated that the planned mass burial “remains suspended to give people ample time to identify their relatives who may be among the deceased.”
He emphasized that the decision was made to allow more time for identification, as suggested when the government initially disclosed its plans for a mass burial.
Omotoso noted, “Up until now, nobody has shown up to identify any of the corpses. But the government has decided to give people more time.”
He further assured that the planned burial would proceed in due course, but it was temporarily suspended due to the controversies surrounding it, allowing people the opportunity to ascertain if their relatives were among the deceased.