Crime
#EndSARS: Coalition Demands Justice For Victims, Not Mass Burial
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.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two elderly men aged 84 and 75 for allegedly supplying illicit drugs to secondary school students in Umuahia, Abia State, in a shocking case that has stirred public concern.
The suspects, identified as Godfrey Orji (84) and Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora (75), were arrested in separate intelligence-led operations by NDLEA operatives over their alleged involvement in drug distribution within school communities.
Drugs hidden in patent medicine shop
According to the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Obiora was arrested on June 19, 2026, after credible intelligence linked him to selling illicit substances to students from his patent medicine store located at 4 Club Road, Umuahia.
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A search of the premises reportedly led to the recovery of 4.64 kilograms of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.
Babafemi stated: “Pa Obiora was arrested by NDLEA operatives following credible intelligence that he was selling illicit substances to young students and others in his patent medicine store.”
Arrest at school exposes second suspect
In a separate operation, Godfrey Orji, a pensioner, was apprehended after he was allegedly caught supplying drugs to students of Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia.
Security guards at the school reportedly intercepted him and handed him over to the police, who later transferred him to the NDLEA.
One of the teenage students, a 15-year-old SS2 pupil, allegedly confessed during interrogation that the suspect regularly supplied him with drugs, which he also sold to other students.
Students moved to rehabilitation
The NDLEA confirmed that while the two suspects will face prosecution, the affected students have been placed under counselling and rehabilitation programmes as part of efforts to curb drug abuse in schools.
Nationwide crackdown continues
The Abia arrests come amid ongoing nationwide operations by the NDLEA, which also recorded major drug seizures across the country In Lagos, operatives intercepted 9.5kg of ADB-Chminaca, a synthetic cannabinoid concealed in a shipment from China.
Another raid uncovered 300 grams of cannabis (“Loud”) hidden in handbags at a logistics facility.
A drug dealer’s home in Ajah was raided, with codeine syrup and cannabis recovered.
In Kogi State, a suspect was arrested with 1.030kg of methamphetamine hidden in custard containers.
In Oyo State, operatives recovered 1,416kg of skunk during a major raid.
In Edo State, large cannabis farms were destroyed, with over 4,000kg of cannabis recovered or eradicated.
NDLEA vows stronger enforcement
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended operatives across multiple states for their coordinated operations and urged them to sustain the momentum.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to both enforcement and public sensitisation under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
The NDLEA says it will continue its nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking networks, especially those targeting vulnerable young people in school environments, as investigations and prosecutions continue in the Abia case.
Popular TikTok personality, Fati Cele, has been detained by the Kano State Police Command following the death of her boyfriend, Isma’il Makaye, at her residence in Kano State.
The development was confirmed on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna, who said the social media influencer is currently in custody while investigations continue.
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“Yes, it’s true, the TikToker is currently being detained over the death of her boyfriend, Isma’il Makaye,” Haruna said.
The police spokesperson, however, declined to provide further details regarding the incident, stressing that investigations are ongoing.
Fati Cele, who is originally from Borno State, resides in a rented apartment in the Danbare area of Kano.
She is a well-known content creator on TikTok, where she has built a following of more than 32,000 followers.
According to a source close to the deceased who spoke on condition of anonymity, the incident occurred after Cele allegedly raised an alarm from her residence, claiming there was a fire outbreak.
The source said Makaye was immediately rushed to Nassarawa Hospital for treatment but was later confirmed dead.
It was further gathered that officers attached to the Dorayi Babba Police Division subsequently took the TikTok personality into custody as part of ongoing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The deceased, Makaye, was a cosmetics trader who lived in the Hotoro Tishama area of Kano.
Family associates disclosed that he was buried at Unguwa Uku Yan Awaki after his remains were released to relatives for burial rites.
The Kano State Police Command has yet to disclose the exact cause of death, maintaining that investigations are still underway.
The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered an alleged human trafficking scheme and arrested a woman accused of attempting to traffic three young women from Kaduna State to Ivory Coast for prostitution.
The victims, aged between 18 and 20, were reportedly lured from Kaduna to Lagos with promises of legitimate employment at a restaurant.
However, upon arriving in the Ajegunle area of Lagos on May 23, they allegedly discovered that the job offer was a cover for a plan to send them abroad for prostitution.
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According to information obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), one of the victims became suspicious after learning of the suspect’s alleged intentions and immediately objected to the arrangement.
A police source disclosed that the young woman informed the suspect that prostitution was never part of the agreement and that they had travelled to Lagos believing they were coming for genuine employment opportunities.
“She immediately told the suspect that prostitution was not what they had been told they were coming to Lagos for,” the source said.
The source further revealed that the suspect allegedly took the girls to a motor park in preparation for their movement out of the country.
“The suspect allegedly took the girls to a motor park with plans to facilitate their movement out of the country.
“Alarmed by the development, one of the victims approached the police and lodged a complaint.
“Following the report, detectives launched an investigation and subsequently apprehended the suspect,” the source added.
Following the complaint, detectives launched an investigation that led to the arrest of the suspect.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Tijani, subsequently ordered that the case be transferred from the Tolu Police Division in Ajegunle to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, for a thorough investigation.
The case is currently being handled by the Anti-Human Trafficking/Gender Unit of the SCID under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the department, Mr. Dayo Akinbisehin.
Investigators are probing allegations of conspiracy, deception and human trafficking, while efforts are ongoing to rescue other victims reportedly being held by an accomplice and identify additional members of the suspected trafficking network.
The police source also disclosed that the victims were never informed about the alleged plan before leaving Kaduna and that one of them became alarmed only after learning of the intention to transport them abroad for prostitution.
Authorities said investigations have been concluded and the suspect is expected to be charged to court soon.
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