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BBC Pidgin of Friday, 20 October 2023

    

Source: BBC

Wetin happun to di mass burial of 103 deadi bodi wey goment bin plan for End SARS victims

#EndSARS demonstrators #EndSARS demonstrators

Following di memo wey leak say di Lagos State goment dey plan mass burial for about 103 deadi bodies of which some of dem dey related to di #EndSARS protest, new informate don comot ontop how di situation be.

For July, one official document bin dey fly around for social media. For di document, e show say di goment wan do mass burial for 103 deadi bodies, but many controversy dey for di content of di document sake of say pipo suspect say na part of di victims wey die for October 2020 for di Lekki Toll Gate protest.

Di document reveal how over 160 million dey approved for di mass burial.

Di goment later clarify say di mass burial no be for victims of the historic 2020 #EndSARS protest wey shake di kontri. For dia statement, goment specifically say di 103 deadi body wey dem wan bury no be from di incident wey happun for Lekki tollgate. Infact, dey insist say dem no see deadi body for di Lekki Toll Gate during di protest.

"For di records, di Lagos State Environmental Health Unit pick up deadi body dem after di #EndSARS violence and community clashes for Fagba, Ketu, Ikorodu, Orile, Ajegunle, Abule-Egba, Ikeja, Ojota, Ekoro, Ogba, Isolo and Ajah areas of Lagos state," permanent secretary for di Ministry of health Dr Olusegun Ogboye bin tok.

Di permanent secretary even add say "di casualties mentioned for di document no be from Lekki Toll-gate as pipo dey allege. For di avoidance of doubt, we no collect any deadi body from di Lekki Toll Gate incident."

Wen di document bin leak, Amnesty International Nigeria demand transparent coroner inquest on di 103 End SARS victims wey dem suspect say Lagos state goment dey plan mass burial for.

Why goment never do mass burial for di 103 corpses

Wen BBC Pidgin bin reach out to Gbenga Akosile di Chief Press Secretary to di govnor of Lagos State, im reveal say e dey necessary make dem put di burial arrangement on hold for now sake of di plenty gbege wey di leaked document cause fo social media.

“If you follow di story, you go realise say one problem dey. Di leakage of dat document wey dey meant for di purchase of coffins, lands and all di burial items, e just dey reasonable for di goment to put am on hold pending wen dem go determine so many tins.”

Akosile add say di goment no go hide anytin about di burial wen dem wan do am but make pipo no take am out of context. Im also lament say di document wey leak na official document wey no suppose enta public domain until goment make am public.

“Dem no go hide di mass burial since no be wetin dem suppose hide cos we no dey do anything shady.”

“E dey sad say some mischievous staff go fit leak official document and dem take am out of context.”

For im own response to why goment suspend di burial for di 103 deadi bodies wey dem pick for Lagos State after di #EndSARS, di commissioner of information, Gbenga Omotoso explain say na old tori as pipo bin argue say dem no get enough time to check if dia pipo dey among di corpses.

“Remember wen e suppose take place argument bin comot say pipo no get enough time to check. Di goment put am on hold and e no dey new.”

Three years afta Lekki toll gate incident, wetin don happun?

Plenti victims don comot to share dia experiences and pains of wetin do dem during di #EndSARS protest, especially for Lagos.

20 October, 2020, go ever remain for di heart of many young Nigerians. Dat na di day wey men of di Nigeria Army and Police use force end one nationwide protest by youths of di kontri wey dey demand end to police brutality.

Some states set up panels of investigation. For Lagos state, di panel wey retired Justice Doris Okuwobi lead, say di unfortunate incident fit dey refered to as massacre.

"Di brutal disfiguring and killing of unarmed, helpless and unresisting protesters, as dem sit sidon for floor and dey wave dia Nigerian flags, while dem dey sing di National Anthem fit dey equivalent to 'massacre' in context," as part of di panel final report tok.

"Di panel find say na true, di case of di EndSARS protesters say soldiers shoot directly at protesters for Lekki Toll Gate on 20 October, 2020."

In total, dem record 48 casualties for Lekki Tollgate, according to di panel, including 11 dead and four missing.

Lagos State goment release white paper on di report of di judicial panel of inquiry wey goment set up to torchlight police brutality wey include di incidents wey happun during di EndSARS protest.

Di white paper tok say out of di 32 recommendations wey di panel tok, Lagos goment accept 11, reject one and dem go accept six more after modifications.

E don reach three years after di #EndSARS protest and some pipo plan to gather for Lekki Toll Gate on Friday to pay dia respect to di victims.

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