Onifade, whose full name was Onifade Emmanuel Pelumi, was covering the anti-police brutality demonstrations on October 24, 2020, when he was reportedly arrested by police officers in the Agege area of Lagos.
Witnesses said he identified himself as a journalist and was visibly dressed as a member of the press at the time.
Days after his disappearance, an unidentified body was deposited at a mortuary in Ikorodu, raising suspicions that it could be the missing reporter.
However, the identity of the deceased remained unconfirmed for several years. In July 2024, a Federal High Court in Lagos directed the Lagos State Government to conduct a coroner’s inquest into the circumstances surrounding the case.
The court also ordered the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to carry out a post-mortem examination on the body.
According to LASUTH, earlier efforts to identify the remains were delayed because DNA samples stored at the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre were destroyed during the #EndSARS unrest in October 2020.
Following fresh legal proceedings, another DNA analysis was conducted using a sample provided by Onifade’s mother.
The results confirmed a match, establishing that the unidentified body was indeed Pelumi Onifade.
The confirmation brings an emotional end to nearly six years of uncertainty for the family, who have continued to seek justice and closure since his disappearance.
The family’s legal representatives have now called for a full autopsy to determine the exact cause of death and uncover the circumstances surrounding the journalist’s final moments.
The case has been adjourned until July 7, 2026, for further proceedings as authorities continue investigations into the death of Pelumi Onifade.
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