A Coroner from Lagos State’s District, Mrs. Temitope Oladele has instructed the Medical Director of Ikorodu General Hospital to provide records concerning the deposit, release, or current situation of Mr. Pelumi Onifade’s remains, a journalist who allegedly died in police custody during the October 2020 #EndSARS protests. This directive was issued over the weekend following a request from Media Rights Agenda’s (MRA) attorney, Monday Arunsi, who, alongside Ms. Jennifer Wala from the law firm Charles Musa & Co., represented Onifade’s family. Arunsi informed the court that the hospital had previously denied access to these records, citing confidentiality concerns. A statement made to the press revealed that Onifade, a reporter for Gboah TV, was reportedly detained by members of the Lagos State Taskforce while documenting the protests and was later discovered deceased at the hospital’s mortuary. A coroner’s inquest has been initiated by a Federal High Court in Lagos after MRA filed a wrongful death claim against the Nigeria Police Force and Lagos State Government, demanding a thorough investigation into his death. In a ruling dated July 19, 2024, Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji directed the Attorney-General to ensure a coroner’s inquest is carried out to ascertain the cause of death and identify the responsible parties. During proceedings on Friday, Arunsi stated that he and a colleague attempted to access the hospital records on July 31, 2025, as previously instructed by the court, but were met with refusal from the Medical Director, who claimed only a court order could mandate disclosure. Upon granting the application, the Coroner ordered that the Medical Director or an authorized person provide the requested information within seven days of the order. The case was postponed to August 19, 2025, for a status update.
