A DNA analysis presented to the Coroner Court by the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre has established that a previously unidentified body is that of Pelumi Onifade, a journalist who disappeared during the EndSARS protests of October 2020.
The journalist’s mother, Adebose Onifade, broke down in tears after investigating Magistrate Temitope Oladele said she had received a sealed report confirming a match between the body and the sample the family had provided.
The inquest stems from a wrongful death suit brought by Media Rights Agenda and the Onifade family against the police and the Lagos State Government, ordered after a 2024 Federal High Court judgment directed the Attorney General to investigate the death and determine its cause and responsibility.
Earlier in the proceedings the coroner had ordered the chief medical examiner at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital to submit the autopsy report for a body tagged No. 1385. The hospital had stated that autopsies were carried out on six bodies brought in on November 3, 2020, with samples forwarded to the DNA center for identification.
When the matter resumed, both parents attended. The magistrate acknowledged that the hospital was overwhelmed but said she believed the autopsy had been or should have been completed. The family’s lawyer argued that the long wait and repeated follow-up orders pointed to non-compliance, and noted continuing police denials of custody. The coroner ordered a final reminder to the hospital and adjourned the case to July 7, warning she could compel compliance if necessary.
