Amnesty International Urges Lagos Government to Halt Planned Mass Burial of 103 #EndSARS Victims
Amnesty International has called on the Lagos State Government to suspend the intended mass burial of 103 victims of the #EndSARS protests. The appeal came in response to the state government's reaction to a leaked memo addressed to the state Ministry of Health by the procurement agency.
While the Lagos State Government confirmed the existence of the leaked memo, they clarified that the victims scheduled for burial are not related to the controversial Lekki Tollgate shooting.
In a statement released on Monday, Amnesty's Director of Information, Isa Sanusi, demanded an independent investigation into the matter. He also stressed the importance of conducting autopsies on the victims' bodies and revealing the identities of those to be buried.
“The Nigerian authorities must immediately stop their plans for a secret mass burial of #EndSARS victims and instead conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the killings,” the statement read. Sanusi further emphasized the need for transparent coroner inquests to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the 103 #EndSARS victims' deaths.
Amnesty International expressed concern that the Lagos state government has not disclosed the fact that it has been holding the bodies of these victims since October 2020.
In addition, Sanusi called for the immediate release of all individuals detained in connection with their participation in the #EndSARS protests. He emphasized that the Nigerian authorities should ensure access to justice and effective remedies, including fair trials and adequate compensation, for the victims and their families.
