DNA Test Ends Six-Year Mystery as Court Confirms #EndSARS Victim Was Journalist Pelumi Onifade

A Lagos Coroner’s Court has confirmed that a previously unidentified body recovered in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests belongs to journalist Pelumi Onifade, bringing a significant breakthrough in the six-year quest for answers over his disappearance and death.

The confirmation came on Tuesday after the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre submitted a DNA analysis report establishing a match between the unidentified body and a sample provided by Pelumi’s mother, Mrs. Adebose Onifade.

The emotional development unfolded during proceedings before the Coroner Court investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of the young journalist, who was reportedly shot and arrested while covering the #EndSARS protests on October 24, 2020.

Mrs. Onifade broke down in tears as Coroner Temitope Oladele announced the findings of the forensic report.

According to the sealed report presented to the court, genetic analysis confirmed that Mrs. Onifade is the biological mother of the deceased, thereby conclusively identifying the previously unknown body as that of Pelumi Onifade.

The ongoing inquest follows a judgment delivered on July 19, 2024, by Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos in a wrongful death suit instituted by the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) against the Nigeria Police Force and the Lagos State Government.

In the judgment, the court directed the Lagos State Attorney-General to investigate the circumstances surrounding Onifade’s death and conduct a coroner’s inquest to determine the cause of death and identify those responsible.

At an earlier sitting on May 22, 2026, the Coroner ordered the Chief Medical Examiner of the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to produce the autopsy report relating to a body tagged No. 1385 within 21 days.

The court also directed the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre to submit the results of DNA testing conducted on the body after LASUTH disclosed that DNA samples had been collected from several unidentified bodies linked to the #EndSARS period and compared with samples provided by families of missing persons.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, counsel to MRA and the Onifade family, Alimi Adamu, informed the court that both institutions had been served with the court’s orders and sought clarification on whether they had complied.

Responding, Coroner Oladele disclosed that while LASUTH had yet to submit the requested autopsy report, the DNA and Forensic Centre had complied by forwarding its findings in a sealed document.

She said the report conclusively established the identity of the body and confirmed Pelumi’s death.

Expressing concern over LASUTH’s failure to produce the autopsy report, the Coroner acknowledged the challenges faced by the institution but noted that the report should have been completed and made available by now.

However, counsel to the family argued that years of waiting had compounded the grief of Pelumi’s parents and that repeated delays in producing critical evidence were unacceptable.

The lawyer also pointed to the broader public interest in the case, particularly within Nigeria’s media community, noting that Pelumi disappeared while carrying out his duties as a journalist during one of the country’s most significant protest movements.

The Coroner subsequently directed that a final administrative reminder be issued to LASUTH, urging the hospital to immediately release the outstanding autopsy report.

She warned that if the institution failed to comply, the court would have no option but to invoke its full powers under the law to compel production of the report, including taking action against responsible officials.

“I understand that you want justice in this matter,” the Coroner said. “This did not start today. It began years ago, and I sympathise with the family.”

The matter was adjourned to July 7, 2026, for further proceedings.

Pelumi Onifade’s case has become one of the most prominent unresolved cases linked to the #EndSARS protests, with media rights advocates and civil society groups continuing to demand accountability, transparency, and justice over the circumstances surrounding his death.