Esther Oluku
A DNA result presented to the Coroner Court by the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre has confirmed that a previously unidentified body is that of Pelumi Onifade, a journalist who went missing during the #EndSars protest in October 2020.
Mrs. Adebose Onifade, mother of the journalist wept after investigating Magistrate, Mrs. Temitope Oladele, said she had received a sealed DNA report confirming a match between the body and the sample provided by Mrs. Onifade.
The inquest follows a wrongful-death suit filed by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the Onifade family against the Police and Lagos State Government, and was ordered by the Federal High Court after Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji’s July 19, 2024 judgment directing the Attorney-General to investigate Pelumi’s death and conduct a coroner’s inquest to determine cause and responsibility.
On May 22, 2026, at the request of MRA lawyer Alimi Adamu, the coroner ordered the Chief Medical Examiner at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to submit the autopsy report for a body tagged No. 1385 within 21 days.
LASUTH’s March 24, 2026 report had stated that autopsies were conducted on six bodies brought to the hospital on November 3, 2020, and that DNA samples from those bodies and reference samples from grieving families were forwarded to the DNA centre for identification.
When proceedings resumed on June 23, 2026, both parents of the late journalist attended. Counsel for MRA and the family informed the court that the orders had been served and sought guidance on compliance.
The coroner said she had received no response from LASUTH but had in her possession a sealed document from the DNA and Forensic Centre confirming the match to the journalist’s mother.
Oladele acknowledged LASUTH’s strain, saying, “In all honesty, LASUTH is overwhelmed,” but added she believed the autopsy had been or should have been completed.
Adamu argued the family has endured a prolonged wait for answers and that the need for follow-up orders illustrated non-compliance with earlier directives. He noted continuing police denials of custody and a growing public and media concern over the journalist’s disappearance and death while covering #EndSARS protests on October 24, 2020.
The coroner warned she might order coercive action if necessary but urged administrative steps first, promising another reminder and court follow-up.
She directed a final administrative reminder to LASUTH and advised MRA’s lawyers to visit the hospital in person to expedite compliance. Failure to comply would force the court to use its full powers to compel the autopsy report. The matter was adjourned to July 7, 2026.
