EndSARS Mass Burial: ‘Lagos Lied, Families Turned up for Corpses but Were Denied Access’

Omolabake Fasogbon

The Lagos State government while  reacting to a leaked memo pointing to a  planned mass burial for victims of 2020 EndSARS protest, defended its action on refusal of relatives to claim their corpses.

However, THISDAY investi-gations  prior and after the reaction by Lagos, through its Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, proved otherwise.

A  leaked memo from Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, dated July 19, 2023, addressed to the Ministry of Health and signed by the Director-General of the agency, Mr. Onafowote Idowu showed the approval of the sum of N61,285,000 for the mass burial.

Earlier in March, THISDAY  had reported how Lagos State government  deceived  victims’ relatives and collected their samples in LASUTH for a DNA test, further raising the hopes of the bereaved.see link (https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2023/03/27/endsars-how-lagos-government-gambles-with-corpses-of-victims-denies-them-peaceful-rest).

It was reported  that about 30 relatives, including Mrs Bose Onifade, mother of   Pelumi, a young journalist killed by police in the line of duty,  were asked to keep checking back for the result of a test that never ran in the first place.  Close sources in the Ministry of  Health told THISDAY that government failed to mobilise funds for the test which was supposed to be done abroad.

The investigation further traced the DNA samples to  Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, LSD&FC, where they were dumped for years, without any  laboratory actions.

Then, THISDAY reporter  reached out to the Managing Director of LSD&FC, Dr Richard Somiari and the state’s Ministry of Justice, both who were privy to the matter and at the centre  who   rather tossed reporter around when approached for reaction.

Following Ogboye’s  declaration on Sunday, THISDAY reporter still reached out to Bose who equally  disclaimed government’s defence, pleading that government should release his son, Pelumi’s corpse.

In an exclusive chat with our reporter, she expressed disappointment on how government could afford N61 million for a mass burial, yet could not release money to carry out DNA test for relatives to claim their  corpses .

Bose also recounted the efforts she and her husband had taken in the past three years to secure their son’s corpse, including visiting the LSD&FC in March 2023 to no avail.

She said: “That government is claiming that no one came out for DNA test was a blatant lie from the pit of hell. The evidences are glaring, we were about 30 that came to submit our samples in LASUTH in 2020 not knowing that government was actually deceiving us. We ran from pillar to post to get our corpse to no avail, still we were denied compensation when others got.

“Coincidentally, Pelumi would have been 23 years today if he was alive.  I beg Nigerians to come to my aid and beg governor Sanwo-Olu to release my son’s corpse so I can give him a befitting burial to enable the dead rest in peace.”

Meanwhile, in a new development,  THISDAY  gathered that the state government, obviously pressured by the backlash from the leaked memo, has started reaching out to relatives of victims to visit LSD&FC for samples recollection, a clear indication that the samples collected earlier in 2021 cannot be accounted for as THISDAY had earlier reported.

In an  SMS sent to Mr Tuned Onifade, Pelumi’s father,  Lagos admitted to collecting DNA samples from relatives in LASUTH sometimes in 2020, again contradicting its recent declaration that no family turned up for DNA test when it called.

The SMS reads: “Dear sir/ma Your sample was collected in 2020 at LASUTH for DNA identification. We  kindly request that you visit Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre for sample recollection.

This recollection process will be conducted from July 25 to July 28, 2023 by 11am to 2pm. Please bring original and photocopy of your valid government issued ID card. Address: 48, Broad street,  Opposite bookshop house, CMS. This process is essential for the DNA identification process.

Reacting to the development, Executive Director of Rights organisation, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre(RULAAC),Okechukwu Nwanguma  said: “It is more than embarrassing that the Lagos State government can be embarking on lies just to cover up atrocities.  It is unconscionable for political office holders to cover up crimes for selfish political interests.  We have not forgotten that the initial reaction of the Lagos State government to the public outrage over the Lekki toll gate massacre was denial that they ordered the military invasion. The military were to later admit that they were invited by the governor. It is unbelievable that the Lagos State government could hide the fact that such number  of citizens were murdered during the peaceful EndSARS protest which they crushed with brutal violence and their dead bodies deposited in mortuary. “They created controversy over the report of the judicial panel of inquiry in order to divert attention and pervert justice. Now their own sins have begun to find them out.  Lagos State government needs to come clean on what happened at Lekki toll gate on October 20, 2020. Only truth and justice will heal the festering wounds and sanitise the land desecrated with innocent blood. Until it comes clean, Lagos State government has blood on its hands.”

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