Crime
#EndSARS Mass Burial: Lawyer Alarmed At Huge Outlay
A legal practitioner who represented some of the #EndSARS protesters, Adesina Ogunlana, has expressed disgust at the humungous amount set aside by the Lagos State Government for the mass burial of the victims.
It was gathered that among those represented by Ogunlana were people who claimed to have been shot, sustained gunshot injuries or saw soldiers shooting protesters at the Likki Tollgate at the #EndSARS protests on October 20, 2020.
In his thoughts, there might be an element of truth that there were casualties from other parts of Lagos, particularly given that the evidences of the exact number of deaths recorded and specific locations were not adduced at the Panel.
He said, “My concern is not about the (number of) people that died but the fact that somebody is saying he wants to carry out a mass burial with N61m – the mass burial of unidentified bodies, of degraded bodies that died about two years ago, roughly about 20 or 19 months ago.
“You want to use N61m for mass burial! It should not even be up to N1m. Is it not just digging a big grave and putting the bodies there? That shows you the exploitation of the ruling class that we have, who are telling the people to bear the pain and to bear with the government.”
While Ogunlana was not keen to contest the number of those who lost their lives and the exact locations, he asserted that the story of the mass burial confirms the popularly held notion that there was a massacre as a result of the #EndSARS protests.
“I am not going to lump it together. I will differentiate and say no, we have been vindicated that people died at the Lekki Tollgate but not anything with 103, there was no evidence like that at the panel. But people died and there was a massacre even if it was only one person,” he said.
Recall that the Lagos State Government had on Sunday confirmed the information contained in the leaked memo on the plan to expend the sum of N61,285,000 for the mass burial of 103 corpses.
Biztellers had reported that Director-General, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Onafowote Idowu, confirmed the story in a letter dated July 19, 2023.
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has condemned the burning of Ilesa High Court 2 building by yet to be identified criminals, describing the arson as “an unjustifiable attack on the state judiciary”.
The incident which happened overnight led to the destruction of court sensitive documents and exhibits with the entire building largely burnt to the ground.
It was gathered that the state fire service was mobilised to the scene but the havoc was already over by the time of their arrival. There are indications that files relating to sensitive court cases were destroyed.
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Gov Adeleke in the statement directed thorough investigation into the incident as well as beefing up security across all court premises in the state.
He stated, “Thorough investigation must be conducted by the security agencies to apprehend the suspects and ensure they face the consequences of their actions. I further direct security agencies to beef up surveillance across the various court buildings.
“Additionally, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice is to join hands with the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure for the immediate rehabilitation of the burnt down building.”
Gov Adeleke described the attack as a threat to democracy and noted that the judiciary remains the stabilizer and critical arbiter of the democratic process, urging support rather than attack for the judiciary.
Fear and anxiety have spread across the Ogwashi-Uku community in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State following the abduction of four children by suspected child traffickers.
The incident occurred on Sunday in the Umuokwe quarters, where two of the victims — identified as siblings, Ebube and Miracle — were reportedly taken by three unidentified women.
The women had only recently moved into the area after securing emergency accommodation.
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Community sources said the suspects lured the children from their homes under the pretense of buying them biscuits from a nearby shop.
“It was when the children could not be seen around the compound that neighbours expressed concern,” a resident said.
“By the time the neighbours visited the ladies’ apartment, the room was empty as neither the occupants nor the children could be found.”
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer for Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, said the landlady who rented out the room to the suspects has been arrested and is currently in custody.
“The children were abducted three days after the women rented the apartment,” Edafe stated.
“It is true; the problem is that there is no link. They just came and said they wanted to rent an apartment and the landlady gave it to them with no details, no name, no phone number, no agreement, and after three days they carried four children. The landlady has been arrested because her actions are suspicious.”
Security agencies have launched a manhunt for the suspects, while the community remains on alert as the search for the missing children continues.
Benjamin Best Nnayereugo, popularly known as ‘Killaboi,’ has been extradited to Nigeria from Doha, Qatar, to face trial for the alleged murder of 21-year-old university student Augusta Onuwabhagbe.
The Nigeria Police confirmed his arrival in the country in the early hours of Saturday, following months of international manhunt and collaborative efforts involving INTERPOL, the Federal Ministry of Justice, Qatari authorities, and the Nigerian Police.
Nnayereugo, who had been declared wanted in October 2023, was accused of killing Onuwabhagbe—a first-class student of Lead City University, Ibadan—on July 13, 2023, at his residence in Ajah, Lagos.
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“The Nigeria Police Force has successfully completed the extradition of Benjamin Best Nnayereugo, male, widely known as ‘Killaboi,’ from Doha, Qatar to Nigeria,” a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, read.
The extradition was initiated following a petition from the family of the deceased on September 29, 2024, which triggered INTERPOL NCB Abuja’s involvement.
After the murder, the suspect fled the country and released a video online purporting to confess to the crime — a move police described as “a deceptive strategy to derail investigative efforts.”
Following his declaration as wanted by the Lagos State Police Command, an INTERPOL Red Notice was issued.
He was eventually arrested in Sierra Leone under the alias “Kanu Princeton Samuel” on October 20, 2023, but escaped custody in a prison break the following month.
Authorities tracked the fugitive’s movements across West Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East before he resurfaced in Doha on January 24, 2025, living under the false name “Toure Abdoulaye” with a fake Guinean passport.
In February, Qatari authorities arrested him after advanced biometric verification confirmed his identity. The Nigerian government’s extradition request was later approved.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, praised the international cooperation that led to Nnayereugo’s return.
“The synergy amongst nations is vital to curb trans-border crimes,” the IGP said, while assuring Nigerians that the fugitive will face diligent prosecution.
Nnayereugo’s case had earlier drawn widespread attention, with the Lagos State Police issuing a public alert for information on his whereabouts.
At the time, the police described him as a 26-year-old, 5’9″ tall, dark-complexioned man from Abia State who spoke English, Igbo, and Pidgin English fluently.
The Nigeria Police have reiterated their commitment to justice, assuring the public that all necessary steps will be taken to ensure accountability.
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