BREAKING: DNA Test Confirms Unidentified Body in Ikorodu Mortuary Is That of Missing Journalist Pelumi Onifade

A DNA test has confirmed that the unidentified body deposited at an Ikorodu mortuary is that of Pelumi Onifade, a reporter who disappeared during the #EndSARS protests in 2020.

On October 24, 2020, Pelumi was arrested and taken away by police officers in Agege despite wearing a jacket identifying him as a member of the press. A few days later, an unidentified body was discovered at a mortuary in Ikorodu, and it was speculated that the body belonged to Pelumi.

In July 2024, the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the Lagos State Government to conduct a coroner’s inquest to determine the cause of Pelumi’s death and identify those responsible. The court also ordered LASUTH to perform a post-mortem examination on the unidentified body.

LASUTH stated that Pelumi’s body could not initially be identified because DNA samples held at the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre were destroyed during the October 2020 #EndSARS unrest. After prolonged back-and-forth, a DNA test was eventually conducted using a sample from Pelumi’s mother, which confirmed a match.

The family’s counsel is now calling for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of Pelumi’s death. The case has been adjourned until July 7, 2026. May his soul rest in peace.