103 #EndSARS Deaths: CSOs Reject Mass Burial For Victims

Members of the civil society organisations (CSOs) have warned Lagos State government against carrying out mass burial for the 103 victims of #EndSARS protest.

They threatened to institute a legal action at the International Criminal Court (ICC), which may warrant exhuming the corpses for forensic analysis if the state failed to heed their advice.

The CSOs which reacted to a statement issued by the state government signed by the permanent secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye that the state would carry out mass burial for 103 corpses accused Lagos State government of insincerity about the killing in the #EndSARS# protest in the state.

They alleged that the state government at the initial stage said no members of the public were killed except policemen killed in their barracks.

The spokesperson of Coalition of United Political Parties(CUPP), Comrade Mark Adebayo, who spoke on behalf of the CSOs, wondered at what time the state government realised that 103 people were killed in the protest.

He also queried when the state government announced to the public to check their people missing during the period of #EndSARS at any designated morgue, warning that until when the families of the deceased were given the opportunity to identify their corpses of their people, the state government should not proceed with the burial.

“We the human rights groups will institute a legal action at the International Criminal Court, which may warrant exhuming the corpses for forensic analysis if the state failed to heed our advice,” he said.

The CSO therefore called on President Bola Tinubu to reopen investigation on the killings that took place during the protest.

He said Tinubu must also have an interest in getting to the root of the number of people killed in the protest because in a way he also was a victim.

“How do I mean, apart from the fact that his business premises were burnt, the fact that he also was subjected to investigation by the federal government, he said people went to meet with President Buhari then, that he sponsored #EndSARS protest. Now he is the president of Nigeria he needs to show personal interest   in this matter by re opening #EndSARS issue.