By Ghazali Ibrahim
A Lagos Coroner’s Court has given the Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) 14 days to provide a report on an unidentified body linked to the ongoing inquiry into the death of journalist Pelumi Onifade.
The directive was issued on March 3, 2026, by the investigating magistrate, Mrs. Temitope Oladele, during proceedings of the coroner’s inquest into the death of Onifade, a reporter with Gboah TV who was reportedly shot and arrested while covering the #EndSARS protests on October 24, 2020.
The court specifically requested a report on a body tagged 1385, which LASUTH was said to have received from Ikorodu General Hospital on November 3, 2020, before conducting a post-mortem examination later that month.
The order followed an application by lawyer Alimi Adamu, who appeared alongside Monday Arunsi and Somto Afulukwe on behalf of Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the late journalist’s family. They told the court that LASUTH had not complied with an earlier order issued on November 18, 2025, directing the hospital to submit a comprehensive report about the body.
At the hearing, Adamu informed the court that Pelumi’s parents, Olatunde and Bose Onifade, were present. The coroner acknowledged them in court and expressed condolences over the loss of their son.
The lawyer also noted that a prolonged strike at LASUTH had previously delayed progress in the matter but had now been called off. He asked the court whether the hospital had submitted the report as earlier directed.
The coroner sought confirmation that the previous order had been properly served on the hospital. Arunsi confirmed it was delivered to LASUTH in January 2026, although the court noted that proof of service was not yet in its file.
Arunsi further told the court he had visited LASUTH earlier that day and met with officials at the hospital’s administrative block. According to him, the officials confirmed receiving the court order but could not say whether the hospital had complied.
Following the development, Adamu requested a fresh order addressed directly to the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, rather than the institution generally.
Granting the request, the coroner ordered the CMD to provide a report on the body with tag number 1385 within 14 days of receiving the order.
The case was subsequently adjourned to March 24, 2026, for further proceedings.
The coroner’s inquest was convened following a Federal High Court judgment delivered on July 19, 2024, by Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji. The ruling came after a lawsuit filed by Media Rights Agenda against the Nigeria Police and the Lagos State Government, seeking an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Onifade’s death.
Justice Faji directed the Lagos State Attorney-General to ensure a full investigation, conduct a coroner’s inquest to determine the cause of death, and identify and prosecute anyone found responsible.
Pelumi Onifade’s death has remained one of the unresolved cases linked to the 2020 #EndSARS protests, which were marked by nationwide demonstrations against police brutality.
