A coroner’s court sitting in Lagos has ordered the Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to submit, within 14 days, a report on the whereabouts and status of an unidentified body linked to the death of journalist Pelumi Onifade.
The directive was issued on March 3, 2026, by Magistrate Temitope Oladele, who is presiding over a coroner’s inquest into the death of Onifade. The inquest was instituted following a July 19, 2024 ruling by the Federal High Court in Lagos, which directed the Lagos State Government to investigate the circumstances surrounding Onifade’s death and establish accountability.
Pelumi Onifade , a reporter with Gboah TV, went missing on October 24, 2020, while covering the #EndSARS protests in Lagos. He was reportedly arrested by officials of the Lagos State Task Force despite identifying himself as a journalist. Days later, on November 3, 2020, a body, believed by lawyers of his family to be his, was discovered at Ikorodu General Hospital, raising concerns that he may have died in custody or shortly after his arrest.
A central issue in the coroner’s inquest has been the identity and handling of the unidentified body, labelled “Body 1385,” which was reportedly transferred from Ikorodu General Hospital to LASUTH for a post-mortem examination. However, inconsistencies in hospital records and delays in compliance with earlier court orders have stalled efforts to confirm whether the body is that of Onifade.
At the March 3 hearing, lawyers for Media Rights Agenda (MRA), a civil society organisation and the Media Foundation for West Africa’s national partner in Nigeria, informed the court that a previous order had been served on LASUTH. However, there was no proof of service in the court’s file and no clear evidence of compliance.
In response, the coroner, Magistrate Temitope Oladele, issued a fresh directive specifically addressed to the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, requiring the hospital to account for the body in question. Proceedings have been adjourned to March 24, 2026, when the court is expected to review the hospital’s response.
More than five years after his death, the case of Pelumi Onifade remains unresolved. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) urges the relevant authorities to ensure full compliance with the coroner’s directives and to expedite the inquest. Clarifying the circumstances of Onifade’s death is essential to securing justice and reinforcing protections for journalists in Nigeria.
