The mystery surrounding the disappearance of journalist Pelumi Onifade during the 2020 #EndSARS protests has been resolved after DNA test results confirmed that an unidentified body deposited at an Ikorodu mortuary was his.
Pelumi, who was covering the youth-led protests, reportedly went missing after he was arrested by police officers in Agege on October 24, 2020, despite identifying himself as a journalist and wearing a press jacket.
After years of uncertainty, a magistrate confirmed that DNA results matched a sample provided by Pelumi’s mother with the previously unidentified body recovered in Ikorodu.
“The DNA results established a match between the previously unidentified body and the sample provided by Pelumi’s mother,” the court heard.
The development comes nearly four years after 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 Lagos State University Teaching Hospital to carry out a post-mortem examination.
LASUTH had earlier disclosed that identification efforts were delayed after DNA samples stored at the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre were destroyed during the #EndSARS unrest.
The confirmation has brought painful but long-awaited closure to Pelumi’s family, who spent years searching for answers about his whereabouts.
Pelumi’s legal team is now seeking an autopsy to determine the exact cause of his death. The matter has been adjourned until July 7, 2026.
Reactions
“This is heartbreaking. May justice finally be served for Pelumi and his family.”
“Four years of pain and uncertainty. His family deserves answers.”
“Journalists should never be targeted for doing their jobs.”
Published by Ejoh Caleb
