The Coroner’s Court investigating the 2020 death of journalist Pelumi Onifade has issued a stern 14-day ultimatum to the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), reports ITREALMS.
The inquiry centers on a body received by LASUTH from the Ikorodu General Hospital on November 3, 2020, just days after the height of the #EndSARS protests.
Although a post-mortem was reportedly conducted later that month, the current whereabouts of the remains remain a bureaucratic mystery.
Pelumi Onifade, a 20-year-old journalist with Gboah TV, was reportedly shot and arrested by the police on October 24, 2020, while filming at an Abattoir in Agege. He was never seen alive again.
The investigating magistrate, Mrs. Temitope Oladele, issued the fresh order following a request by Mr. Alimi Adamu, lead counsel representing Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the Onifade family.
The court noted that LASUTH had failed to comply with a previous order issued on November 18, 2025. While a protracted hospital strike was cited as a reason for the delay, the court was informed that the strike has ended and the hospital was officially served with the court order in January 2026.
"The administrative block acknowledged receipt of the order but could not confirm compliance," stated Mr. Monday Arunsi, co-counsel for the family, after a direct visit to the hospital.
Unlike the previous general order, the new mandate is directed specifically to the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, ensuring individual institutional responsibility.
Pelumi’s parents, Mr. Olatunde and Mrs. Bose Onifade, were present in court. Magistrate Oladele formally acknowledged their presence and expressed the court's condolences for their five-year search for closure.
Proof of Service: Despite claims of service, the court noted a lack of physical proof in the file, prompting a directive for the court’s bailiff to regularize the records immediately.
This inquest is the direct result of a July 19, 2024, judgment by Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji of the Federal High Court. In a suit filed by MRA against the Police and the Lagos State Government, the court ordered a full investigation into the circumstances of Onifade's death and the prosecution of those responsible.
The case has become a litmus test for the protection of journalists in Nigeria and the transparency of state-run mortuaries during periods of civil unrest.
The Chief Medical Director of LASUTH has exactly 14 days from the receipt of the order to produce the report on Body 1385.
The Coroner has adjourned further proceedings to March 24, 2026, for a report on compliance.
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