A DNA test conducted by the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre has confirmed that an unidentified body deposited at the Ikorodu General Hospital mortuary in 2020 was that of Pelumi Onifade, a reporter with Gboah TV.
The revelation was made on Tuesday by Temitope Oladele, the investigating magistrate presiding over the coroner’s inquest into the journalist’s death.
Oladele said she received a sealed report from the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre confirming a match between the body, tagged 1385, and a DNA sample provided by Adebose Onifade, the deceased’s mother.
Onifade was reportedly arrested by police officers attached to the Lagos State Task Force in the heat of ENDSARS protest on October 24, 2020, while covering a mob attack on a government facility in Agege, Lagos. He was said to have been taken away despite wearing a jacket identifying him as a journalist.
Days later, Gboah TV announced that his body had been found in a mortuary in Ikorodu. In July 2024, the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the state government to conduct a coroner’s inquest to determine the cause of Onifade’s death and identify those responsible. The inquest commenced in October 2024. Related News Of State Police conundrum, playing the ostrich, and Ekiti election beyond the razzmatazz Full List: Teams that have qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 32 Second batch of stranded Nigerians evacuated from SA arrive Lagos airport
