Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ In October 2020, Nigeria witnessed widespread protests known as the #EndSARS movement, where citizens took to the streets to demand an end to police violence and brutality. The movement was a response to the actions of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a police unit that had been accused of corruption, torture, and extrajudicial killings for years.
The protests gained momentum across major cities in Nigeria, with demonstrators calling for justice and accountability from the government and law enforcement agencies. However, the movement took a tragic turn on October 20, 2020, when the army and police reportedly opened fire on protesters at the Lekki toll in Lagos, resulting in loss of lives.
Since then, there has been controversy surrounding the number of casualties and the authorities’ response to the incident. While many witnesses and human rights organizations alleged that security forces killed protesters and removed the bodies from the scene, the authorities repeatedly denied any deaths at the Lekki tollgate.
Recently, a leaked document from the Ministry of Health revealed that there are 103 unclaimed bodies at the Lagos morgue, related to the October 2020 events. As a result, local authorities have now announced a “mass burial” for these deceased individuals. The burial decision comes as a painful reminder of the toll of the repression during the #EndSARS movement and has reignited the debate over the actual number of casualties during the protests.
The authorities stated that the bodies to be buried were not from the Lekki toll incident but were collected from various areas in Lagos following the violence and communal clashes that occurred during the demonstrations. However, this acknowledgment is the first official recognition of a significant death toll resulting from the protests and subsequent unrest.
The denial of the deaths and the lack of accountability from the authorities have sparked anger and frustration among the youth who participated in or supported the #EndSARS movement. They continue to demand justice and accountability for the lives lost during the protests.
In the aftermath of the events, Nigerians are calling for transparency, truth, and justice, hoping that acknowledging and honoring the lives lost will pave the way for meaningful change and reforms in the country’s law enforcement and governance systems
