A DNA test has confirmed that an unidentified body found at a mortuary in Ikorodu, Lagos, belongs to Pelumi Onifade, the journalist who went missing during the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
Key Highlight:
- A DNA test has confirmed that the unidentified body found in a mortuary in Ikorodu, Lagos, belongs to journalist Onifade Emmanuel Pelumi, who disappeared during the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
- Onifade went missing on October 24, 2020, while covering the #EndSARS demonstrations in Agege, where he was reportedly arrested by police officers despite identifying himself as a journalist.
- Identification of the remains was delayed for years after DNA samples stored at the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre were reportedly destroyed during the 2020 #EndSARS unrest.
- A new DNA test, conducted using a sample provided by Onifade’s mother, finally confirmed the identity of the remains nearly six years after his disappearance.
- The family’s legal team is demanding a full autopsy to determine the cause of death and identify those responsible, while the case has been adjourned until July 7, 2026, for further proceedings.
Onifade, whose full name was Onifade Emmanuel Pelumi, was covering the demonstrations against police brutality on October 24, 2020, when he was reportedly arrested by police officers in the Agege area of Lagos. Reports said he identified himself as a journalist and was wearing clothing indicating he was a member of the press.
Days after his disappearance, an unidentified body was deposited at a mortuary in Ikorodu, raising concerns that it could be Onifade. However, the remains stayed unidentified for years as his family continued searching for answers.
In July 2024, a Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the Lagos State Government to conduct a coroner’s inquest into the circumstances surrounding his death and directed the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to conduct a post-mortem examination.
LASUTH later stated that identification efforts were delayed after DNA samples kept at the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre were destroyed during the October 2020 #EndSARS unrest.
After years of legal proceedings, a new DNA test was carried out using a sample provided by Onifade’s mother. The result confirmed a match between the unidentified remains and the family sample, establishing his identity nearly six years after he disappeared.
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The development ends years of uncertainty for the Onifade family, who have continued to seek justice and answers.
The family’s legal team is now demanding a full autopsy to determine the exact cause of death and identify those responsible.
The case has been adjourned until July 7, 2026, for further proceedings.
