NEWS
Gov Sanwo-Olu Plans Mass Burial For 103 EndSARS Victims
After several denials, Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has given approval for the mass burial of 103 protesters who lost their lives during the October 2020 #EndSARS mass protest against police brutality who were allegedly killed by a joint operation of the Nigerian Army and the police.
According to a letter dated July 19 and seen by the Peoples Gazette, the state government has contracted the services of Messrs Tos Funeral Ltd, a private firm, to carry out the burial. The total cost for the burial of the 103 victims has been estimated at N61,285,000.
The letter reads “Following review of your request and based on the information provided therein, the agency has “No Objection” to the award of contract to MESSRS TOS FUNERALS LIMITED at a total cost of N61,285,000 (Sixty-one million, two hundred and eighty-five thousand Naira only) for the mass burial for the 103, the year 2020 Endsars victims.”
This decision comes nearly three years after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other government officials reportedly denied the brutal killings of unarmed protesters at the Lekki toll gate on the night of October 20, 2020.
During the incident, the protesters, who were peacefully waving the Nigerian flag and singing the national anthem, were allegedly shot at by the military.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sanwo-Olu, Gboyega Akosile, was questioned by People’s Gazette about how this recent move reflects on the government’s past denials.
In response, he reportedly laughed and stated that the government would release its response soon.
The decision for the mass burial also follows a call by the Lagos state government for the identification of missing persons, which was largely ignored due to reports of intimidation and harassment faced by individuals who appeared before the panel of inquiry to make claims that potentially incriminated the government.
Despite the findings of the Lagos State’s judicial panel of inquiry, which described the incident at the Lekki toll gate as a massacre and ruled that the war-grade violence unleashed on peaceful protesters led to the death of numerous individuals, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu issued a white paper to affirm his denial of these findings.
However, there is substantial evidence and a series of government decisions that appear to contradict this denial.
For instance, the appointment of former Army chief Turkur Buratai as a diplomatic envoy to the Benin Republic raised suspicions that it was done to protect him from prosecution by the International Criminal Court, implying that the government was aware of the incident and the potential implications.
The judicial panel’s findings reveal alarming details about the incident at the Lekki toll gate during the #EndSARS protests.
According to the panel, the casualties of the incident were exacerbated by the Nigerian Army’s refusal to allow ambulances and medical help to reach injured protesters who were in urgent need of assistance.
Furthermore, the panel stated that the army tampered with the scene by stealing the corpses of the protesters and wiping blood stains, apparently attempting to hide evidence of their actions and obstruct the investigation.
Testifying before the panel of inquiry, Professor John Obafunwa, the Chief Pathologist of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), disclosed that a total of 99 bodies were deposited in morgues across Lagos in connection with the #EndSARS protests.
Some of these bodies displayed bullet wounds, blunt trauma, and bruises, indicating the severity of the violence inflicted upon the protesters.
Notably, three of the 99 bodies were successfully traced to have originated from the Lekki toll gate, where the incident occurred.
The video investigation published by CNN, along with several other videos taken during the incident, provided further evidence confirming that the Nigerian Army and police used live bullets to shoot directly at the protesters during the tragic event at the Lekki toll gate.
Despite the overwhelming evidence and the findings of the Lagos State judicial panel of inquiry, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has seemingly downplayed the incident, asking citizens to “snap out of it” and focus on rebuilding.
However, for the families who lost their loved ones in the violent event, finding closure has become a significant struggle.
At least 11 people, including six children, have died after a fire swept through a market and surrounding buildings in Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region.
The deadly blaze broke out shortly after midnight on Monday in Paniai, Central Papua province, and quickly spread to several tightly packed shophouses and structures in the area.
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According to local police spokesman Henry J. Manurung, firefighters battled the inferno for more than three hours before eventually bringing it under control.
“During the inspection, officers found 11 victims who had died with burn injuries,” Manurung said in a statement.
He said five of the victims were adults, while the other six were children aged between two and nine years.
The fire destroyed at least 40 kiosks and houses despite the deployment of fire trucks and water cannons by emergency responders.
Manurung said the tightly packed arrangement of the houses and market stalls contributed to the rapid spread of the flames and made firefighting operations more difficult.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the deadly fire.
The incident adds to a series of deadly fires recorded in Indonesia in recent years.
In December, 22 people were killed when fire swept through a seven-storey office building in Central Jakarta. Police said an exploding drone battery on the ground floor was the likely cause.
In 2023, an explosion at a nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia also claimed at least 12 lives.
The latest tragedy has left the Paniai community mourning as authorities continue efforts to establish what triggered the devastating blaze.
United States President Donald Trump has sparked controversy after suggesting that New Mexico should be given a new name.
Trump made the proposal on Sunday in a social media post, saying several people had suggested changing the name of the southwestern US state.
He described the proposed alternative as “more prestigious and beautiful” for what he called an “incredible State,” adding that he loved the idea.
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The White House later reposted an image illustrating the proposed change, with the word “Mexico” in New Mexico’s name crossed out and replaced.
However, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham swiftly rejected the suggestion, insisting that the state’s name was not open for debate.
Speaking to Fox News, Lujan Grisham said the name had belonged to the state since before the United States existed.
She also accused Trump of seeking to distract Americans from pressing issues, including soaring gas prices.
The latest proposal is part of a broader pattern of name-change suggestions by Trump since returning to the White House.
Trump previously moved to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America shortly after beginning his second presidential term in 2025, a move rejected by Mexico.
Last week, he also suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz, although he later appeared to indicate that he was not being serious about the proposal.
Trump has additionally proposed changing the name of Lake Ontario, a move that has been rejected by Canada.
Some US media reports have suggested that the latest New Mexico name-change idea may have originated as an internet hoax before being amplified by the president.
Despite Trump’s suggestion, Governor Lujan Grisham has made clear that there is no debate over changing the state’s name.
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has left for vacation in Europe even as he ordered a probe into the emerging dispute over the kingship of Koka town in Obokun Local Government.
According to a government house statement on Sunday in Osogbo, the governor will also embark on medicals as part of the vacation and is headed to the United Kingdom among other destinations to be announced later.
“I am taking a short break to refresh and get further prepared to serve the good people of Osun state”, the governor stated while taking off at the Lagos airport.
He however directed the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to probe the circumstances surrounding the reported appointment of another king for Koka Ilase, leading to alleged two kings in the same town.
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The ministry was instructed to review the situation and enforce due process of the law in respect of the chieftaincy law and tradition.
“I read of another King appointed outside the one on the stool. The ministry is hereby directed to look into the dispute and issue a report to set the records straight.
“I however urge all stakeholders to remain peaceful as the ministry does the needful. Kingship is governed by extant laws and regulations and the government will stand by the law and tradition of our people”, the governor posited.
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