Further proceedings in the Coroner’s Inquest into the death of Mr. Pelumi Onifade, a journalist with Gboah TV who died under controversial circumstances on October 24, 2020, while covering the #EndSARS protests in Lagos, will come up on January 30, 2026, as efforts continue to establish the circumstances surrounding his killing.
The inquest, taking place at the Ogba Magistrates Court in Ikeja, is examining the events that led to the death of Onifade, a young reporter with an online television outlet, who was fatally shot by the Police on October 24, 2020.
Unlike a criminal trial, a coroner’s inquest is a legal process designed in general to determine who died, establish when the death occurred, clarify where the death happened, and ascertain how the death occurred.
In Lagos State, the Coroner’s Court operates under the Coroner’s Law, which provides the legal framework for investigating sudden, violent, or unexplained deaths; summoning witnesses and documents; and issuing factual findings. The court therefore has the power to call witnesses, require the production of documents, and issue findings on the circumstances of the death.
The inquest, presided over by Mrs. Temitope Oladele, a District Coroner, is being conducted pursuant to the judgment of Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos, delivered on July 19, 2024 in a suit instituted by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) against the Lagos State Government and Police authorities demanding, among other things, an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the late journalist.
In his judgment, Justice Faji directed the Attorney-General of Lagos State to take all necessary steps to ensure an investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Onifade’s death and to conduct a coroner’s inquest to ascertain the cause of death as well as identify and prosecute those responsible for his death.
During the session, which took place on December 5, 2025, the court was forced to adjourn the matter as Mr. Adebola Araba, who represented the Attorney-General of Lagos State, informed the Coroner that as a result of the ongoing strike at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), key personnel of the hospital were not available to receive her November 18, 2025 order and carry out her directive to produce “a comprehensive and specific report” relating to an unidentified body on which the hospital was said to have conducted post-mortem examination in November 2020.
The District Coroner’s November 18, 2025 order asked LASUTH to produce a detailed report relating to the remains tagged “1385”, which is the mortuary identification number assigned to the body believed to be that of the late Mr. Onifade. The report is to cover all relevant information concerning the body, which was reportedly received from the Ikorodu General Hospital on November 3, 2020 by Mr. Oluwole Shina Folorunsho, on behalf of the Chief Pathologist of Lagos State, Prof. John Obafunwa, for post-mortem examination.
The December 5, 2025 court session was attended by Mr. Olatunde Onifade and Mrs. Bose Onifade, parents of the deceased journalist as well as human rights and freedom of expression lawyer, Mr. Monday Arunsi, who led Ms. Jennifer Wala, as legal representatives of MRA and the late journalist’s family.
