A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has adjourned until October 7, 2026, a suit filed by a Lagos-based journalist, Ms Ayomide Eweje, against Ikorodu General Hospital and its Medical Director over the hospital’s failure to disclose information concerning the handling of the remains of Mr. Pelumi Onifade, a 20-year-old journalist who died under controversial circumstances during the October 2020 #EndSARS protests.
The suit, commenced pursuant to the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011, was instituted under Order 34 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, Sections 1(3) and 20 of the FOI Act, and the inherent jurisdiction of the Court. It seeks judicial review of the hospital’s refusal to grant the journalist access to the records she requested.
The matter was scheduled to come up before Justice Chukwujekwu Joseph Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on July 16, 2026. However, proceedings could not take place because the Court did not sit, as the trial Judge was away on an official assignment. Consequently, the matter was adjourned to October 7, 2026, for mention.
Previously, the case had been fixed for hearing on May 27, 2026. Proceedings could not be conducted on that date because it was declared a public holiday, prompting the Court to adjourn the matter to July 16, 2026.
Earlier, when the matter came up for mention on January 22, 2026, Miss Eweje was represented by her counsel, Mr. Alimi Adamu, while Ikorodu General Hospital and its Medical Director were represented by Ms. Titilayo Akinyemi, counsel from the Office of the Lagos State Attorney General. Following the Applicant’s request for a hearing date, the Court fixed May 27, 2026, for hearing.
In her originating process, Miss Eweje, a correspondent with BONews Service, stated that by a letter dated July 31, 2025, she requested certified true copies of documents detailing the receipt, custody, and handling of Mr. Onifade’s corpse, as well as the hospital’s mortuary protocols.
She contended that the hospital failed, refused, or neglected to provide the requested information within the statutory period prescribed under the FOI Act and equally failed to issue a written notice of denial stating the grounds for its refusal, contrary to the provisions of the Act.
Accordingly, she is seeking several declaratory and injunctive reliefs, including a declaration that the hospital’s refusal to disclose the requested information violates her statutory right of access to information under Sections 1(1) and 4(a) and (b) of the FOI Act; a declaration that the hospital’s failure to issue a written notice of denial constitutes a breach of Sections 4(b) and 7(1)– (3) of the Act; and an order compelling the Respondents to disclose the requested records.
The records sought by the journalist include the mortuary admission register indicating when Mr. Onifade’s body was received; records relating to the release, transfer, or movement of the body; any autopsy or post-mortem report conducted; records of DNA or forensic samples collected, if any; documentation evidencing the involvement of the Police or other officials in the release of the corpse; copies of communications with Mr. Onifade’s family; and the hospital’s mortuary protocols governing the reception, documentation, and release of corpses.
Miss Eweje is also asking the Court to order the hospital to deposit the requested records with the Court pending the determination of the suit; award the sum of ₦1 million as exemplary and aggravated damages for the alleged unlawful denial of access to information; and direct the appropriate prosecuting authority to institute criminal proceedings under Section 7(5) of the FOI Act against those responsible for the alleged wrongful denial of access.
The Applicant maintains that the information sought is of overriding public importance, particularly in view of the circumstances surrounding Mr. Onifade’s death and the broader public interest in ensuring transparency, accountability, and proper record-keeping in the management of public mortuaries. She argues that the Respondents’ continued refusal to disclose the requested information undermines the objectives of the Freedom of Information Act and erodes the statutory right of citizens to access public records.
