The Coroner’s Inquest into the death of Mr Pelumi Onifade, a 20-year-old journalist with Gboah TV, who died in controversial circumstances while covering the #EndSARS protests in October 2020, has been adjourned to October 7, 2025, to give the Medical Director of the Ikorodu General Hospital in Lagos more time to comply with the District Coroner’s August 8, 2025 order to submit the hospital’s medical records relating to the late journalist.
The inquest, presided over by District Coroner, Mrs T.R.A. Oladele, was instituted pursuant to the landmark judgment of Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, delivered on July 19, 2024. In that decision, the Court directed the Attorney-General of Lagos State to initiate a coroner’s inquest to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr Onifade’s death thoroughly, establish the cause, and identify any persons or institutions responsible.
At the sitting of February 21, 2025, the Coroner reiterated her earlier directive to the Office of the Attorney-General to liaise with relevant institutions to obtain information relating to the recovery, identification, and medical assessment of the deceased’s body. The institutions identified included the DNA and Forensic Centre, the Pathology Department of LASUTH, Gboah TV, the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences, Ikorodu General Hospital, and Yaba General Hospital.
During the proceedings of July 8, 2025, counsel representing the Attorney-General, Mr Adebola Araba, informed the Court that although letters had been dispatched to the relevant institutions, no meaningful response had been received. Specifically, the Pathology Department of LASUTH reported that it had no record of the deceased. The Coroner also raised concern regarding the absence of Mr Onifade’s mother from the proceedings, to which the counsel for MRA and the family, Mr Monday Arunsi, explained that her absence was due to the severe psychological trauma she continues to endure following the tragic death of her son. The Coroner, in response, directed counsel to visit the Ikorodu General Hospital mortuary to make further inquiries into the status of the deceased’s remains.
Meanwhile, at the sitting of August 8, 2025, Mr Arunsi, leading Ms Jennifer Wala of Charles Musa & Co., reported to the Court that the Medical Director of Ikorodu General Hospital had declined to release the requested medical records, citing confidentiality of patient information. Consequently, Mr Arunsi applied orally for an order compelling the production of the records. The Coroner granted the application, directing the Medical Director or any other appropriate authority to release the documents within seven days. The matter was adjourned to August 19, 2025, for mention.
On August 19, 2025, Mr Arunsi again appeared with Ms Wala on behalf of the family and MRA, while Mr Araba represented the Attorney-General. Mr Arunsi reported that a clerk from his firm attempted to serve the August 8 order on the hospital on August 11, 2025, but the hospital refused to accept service, insisting that the order must emanate directly from the Court and be accompanied by a written note. He drew the Court’s attention to the irregularity of such a demand, emphasising that in all his years of legal practice, he had never encountered, been taught, or read of any requirement for a court order to be served with a written note. The Coroner agreed with this position, affirming that a court order carries its own authority and requires no supplementary documentation for valid service. She, therefore, directed the Court’s bailiff to immediately effect proper service of the order.
Following this directive, Mr Arunsi applied for a short adjournment to enable the bailiff to complete service, which the Coroner granted, adjourning the matter to August 28, 2025, for mention.
At the sitting of August 28, 2025, Mr Arunsi, once again leading Ms Wala, represented the family and MRA, while Mr Araba represented the Attorney-General. Mr Arunsi reported that the Sheriff of the Court confirmed that the August 8 order had been duly served on the Medical Director of Ikorodu General Hospital on August 26, 2025, with proof of service filed before the Court. The Coroner confirmed that service was effected at about 9:30 a.m. on that date, but noted that the hospital and its Medical Director remained within the seven-day compliance period ordered by the Court and therefore still had five days to respond. In furtherance of this, the District Coroner directed Mr Arunsi and Ms Wala to visit the hospital to follow up on compliance, armed with a copy of the proof of service and the enrolled order of the court. The Coroner emphasised that this step was necessary to ensure that the hospital could no longer feign ignorance of the court’s order and to secure an update for the inquest at the next adjourned date.
In light of this, Mr Arunsi applied for a further adjournment to allow time for the hospital to comply. The Coroner granted the application and adjourned the matter to September 16, 2025, for a medical report.
At the sitting of September 16, 2025, Mr Arunsi informed the Court that, in compliance with the directive at the previous adjourned date, he and Ms Wala had been unable to visit the hospital. However, Ms Wala had formally written to Ikorodu General Hospital requesting the relevant medical report. He further informed the Court that no response had been received from the hospital to date. Upon inquiry, the District Coroner also confirmed that the hospital had not complied with the Court’s order.
The Coroner expressed reluctance to issue a bench warrant, subpoena, or initiate committal proceedings against any of the hospital’s doctors. She explained that her hesitation was due to the prevailing scarcity of medical practitioners in government-owned hospitals and the risk of discouraging them from service if coercive measures were imposed.
Instead, the Court again directed Mr. Arunsi and Ms. Wala to obtain the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the proof of service by the Sheriff of the Court from the case file, attach a copy of the Court’s order, and personally visit the Medical Director of Ikorodu General Hospital to follow up on compliance, making it clear that it is improper for the Court itself to correspond directly with the hospital.
The matter was consequently adjourned to October 7, 2025, for a medical report.
