DNA Test Matches Unidentified Body To #EndSARS Journalist Pelumi Onifade

A Lagos Coroner’s Court has confirmed through DNA evidence that the body of a previously unidentified victim is that of journalist Pelumi Onifade, who disappeared while covering the #EndSARS protests in October 2020.

The confirmation was made after the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre submitted a sealed report establishing a match between the unidentified body and a DNA sample provided by Onifade’s mother, Mrs. Adebose Onifade. The announcement prompted an emotional reaction from the grieving mother during proceedings before the investigating magistrate, Mrs. Temitope Oladele.

The coroner’s inquest stems from a wrongful death suit filed by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the Onifade family against the Nigeria Police Force and the Lagos State Government. The Federal High Court, in a judgment delivered on July 19, 2024, directed the Lagos State Attorney-General to investigate the journalist’s death and initiate a coroner’s inquest to determine the cause of death and those responsible.

During an earlier sitting on May 22, 2026, the court ordered the Chief Medical Examiner at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to submit the autopsy report on the body, identified as No. 1385, within 21 days following an application by the family’s counsel.

LASUTH had previously informed the court that autopsies were conducted on six bodies brought to the hospital in November 2020 and that DNA samples from the bodies, alongside reference samples from relatives, were forwarded to the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre for identification.

At the resumed hearing on June 23, 2026, counsel for the family informed the court that the previous orders had been served. However, Magistrate Oladele disclosed that while the court had received the DNA report confirming the identity of the deceased, LASUTH was yet to submit the ordered autopsy report.

The magistrate acknowledged the workload facing LASUTH but expressed confidence that the autopsy had either been completed or should have been concluded by now.

Counsel to the family argued that the prolonged wait for answers had further compounded the family’s pain, noting that police authorities have consistently denied taking Onifade into custody despite public concerns surrounding his disappearance after covering the #EndSARS protests on October 24, 2020.

The court warned that it could compel compliance if necessary but directed that a final administrative reminder be sent to LASUTH. It also advised the family’s legal team to engage directly with the hospital to expedite submission of the autopsy report.

The matter was adjourned until July 7, 2026, for further proceedings