The Lagos State Government has announced the suspension of its previously scheduled mass burial for the 103 corpses recovered in the aftermath of the October 2020 #EndSARS protest.

The decision to suspend the mass burial was conveyed by Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, in an interview with The PUNCH on Monday.

This move comes in response to the significant controversy that surrounded the initial announcement made in July.

In a leaked memo dated July 19, 2023, the state government had initially declared its intention to conduct a mass burial for the 103 corpses, a decision that triggered strong reactions from human rights activists and civil society organizations.

Amnesty International and a group operating under the Coalition of #EndSARS Protesters and Supporters had both called for the suspension of the planned mass burial.

Amnesty International further demanded that the government should also conduct transparent coroner inquests and autopsies on the 103 #EndSARS victims.

 In response to these concerns, the state government, represented by Chief Press Secretary Mr. Gboyega Akosile, assured that it would adhere to global best practices in the execution of the mass burial.

As of Monday, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, confirmed that the planned mass burial “remains suspended” to provide ample time for people to identify their relatives among the deceased.

Omotoso explained, “It is to allow more time for identification as suggested when it was disclosed that the government was planning a mass burial for them.”

He noted that, thus far, no one has come forward to identify any of the corpses, but the government has chosen to extend the timeline to give individuals more opportunities to do so.

Omotoso added that the postponed burial would “be carried out soon, but because of the controversies around that time, it was suspended. People now have the time and ample opportunity to see if their relatives are there.”