The move by the Lagos State Government to give 103 victims of the 2020 #EndSARS protest mass burial appears to have run into a brick wall.

A coalition of activist-groups under the aegis of #EndSARS Protesters and Supporters (#EndSARS Frontiers) has voiced rejection of the proposed mass burial, instead, they are demanding justice for the October 20, 2020 violence and murder at the Lekki Tollgate.

The group’s position was contained in a statement made public on Wednesday.

There is a general perception that the #EndSARS Frontiers position is in response to the leaked memo approving the contract for the mass burial of the victims.

The coalition is of the view that the Lagos State Government has been desperately attempting to manipulate public perception in the bid to avert justice and accountability.

It stated, “The Coalition of #EndSARS Protesters and Supporters, national and globally are horrified by the planned mass burial of 103 protesters and civilians who tragically lost their lives in the October 2020 state-sponsored violence and murder at the Lekki Toll Gate, and the callous and insincere statement by the Lagos State Government in response to the leaked memo approving the contract for the mass burial.

“The Babajide Sanwo-olu-led Lagos State Government continues to dis-inform the global community in an attempt to manipulate public perception and evade justice and accountability.

“Between October 21-23, 2020, Mr. Sanwo-olu contradicted himself thrice, first, he said, ‘Nobody died at Lekki Toll Gate’ next, ‘One person died and it was from blunt trauma to the head and the 3rd day, he said, “Two deaths have now been confirmed among the protesters in Lekki’.”

The #EndSARS Frontiers pointed out that both the protesters and investigative journalists had no doubt that many people died at the protest ground.

They remarked that even the judicial panel set up by Sanwo-Olu confirmed the massacre at the Lekki Tollgate, having named some of the victims in its report.

“#EndSARS protesters and investigative journalists are convinced that many people died at Lekki Toll Gate. The report of the Judicial Panel set up by Mr Sanwo-Olu, established there was a massacre at Lekki Toll Gate, and pages 297 & 298 of the report (copy attached), named nine people that were killed, with four more missing but presumed dead.

“Therefore, to state that no one died at Lekki Toll Gate or only two persons were confirmed is a wicked and brazen lie.

“In addition, the panel found that the Lagos State Government, the Nigerian Military and the Police were culpable in the massacre of peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate.

“The report noted that the military and the police shot at peaceful protesters on October 20, 2020, at the Lekki Toll Gate.

“The military, on the invitation of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Sanwo-Olu, took away the bodies and corpses of the dead protesters in their vans, in an attempt to cover up and clean up the crime scene.” the statement added.

The #EndSARS Frontiers considered it deplorable that the government should have these overwhelming evidence and still be posturing that nobody died, despite foolproof evidence, which includes the FIJ and CNN reports, that innocent citizens were butchered by security forces during the #EndSARS protests.

“The government portrayed these citizens as “unscrupulous elements,” dismissing the leaked memo as the work of ‘mischief makers”, thereby exacerbating the pain and suffering endured by the families of the Ifeanyi Nicholas Eji, Tola, Wisdom, Abiodun, Kolade Salami, Folorunsho Olabisi, Victor Sunday Ibanga, Abouta Solomon, Jide, Olalekan Abideen Ashafa, Olamilekan Ajasa, Kenechukwu Ugoh and Nathaniel Solomon.

“Victims as well as citizens, whose crime was to protest against injustice and for a better quality of life.”

The group called on the state government to suspend the mass burial, implement the recommendations of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry’s White Paper, establish a one-month notice for citizens to access the 103 bodies for identification, conduct DNA mapping of the victims and pay compensation and provide therapy for the families of the victims.

“Given the current climate and disaffection amongst youths and Nigerians generally; the high cost of living, occasioned by the fuel price increase among others, and to ignite much-needed peaceful protests, we make the following demands to the Lagos State government to appeal to the conscience of the public:

“Suspend the planned mass burial of 103 bodies in TOS Funeral Services immediately, Implement the recommendations of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry’s White Paper, and establish a one-month notice for citizens to access the 103 bodies, in the hopes of identifying their loved ones.

“Conduct a DNA mapping of all 103 bodies using a reputable private organisation, Pay compensation, and provide therapy for the trauma they have caused families over the last three years,” the group said.