The Coroner Court investigating the tragic death of Mr. Pelumi Onifade, a young journalist with Gboah TV, has directed key witnesses to begin testifying immediately. This directive comes despite continued delays in the release of the official autopsy report, signaling a decisive move to ensure progress in the high-profile case.
Pelumi Onifade was reportedly shot and arrested by security agents on October 24, 2020, while covering the historic #EndSARS protests in Lagos.
At the latest hearing on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the investigating magistrate, Mrs. Temitope Oladele, revealed that the Court had contacted the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) regarding the outstanding autopsy report. According to LASUTH, the report is substantially complete but currently awaits the formal endorsement of the medical examiner, who is presently away. The document is expected to be ready in approximately two weeks.
Legal Team Pushes for Progress Without Delay
Welcoming the update, Mr. Alimi Adamu, the defense counsel representing Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the parents of the late journalist, urged the court not to halt momentum. Leading a legal team comprising Mr. Monday Arunsi and Mr. Victor John, Adamu argued that following the conclusive identification of the journalist through DNA evidence admitted on June 23, 2026, oral testimonies should commence while the forensic report is finalized.
Agreeing with the submission, the Coroner ruled that material witnesses with direct knowledge of the events leading to the death must be summoned immediately. The first category of witnesses will include individuals who interacted with the journalist just before the shooting, specifically a colleague who was present at the scene.
While Adamu informed the court that this specific colleague had relocated outside Lagos, the Coroner emphasized the critical importance of his testimony, ruling that he may testify virtually if physical attendance poses practical or security concerns.
Police Officers and Hospital Records Under Scrutiny
The scope of the investigation has also expanded to the security personnel involved in the incident. Mr. Alimi Adamu submitted that the police officers who recovered the deceased are essential to reconstructing the timeline. He pointed to medical records from the Ikorodu General Hospital, which indicate that the late journalist sustained a gunshot wound before his body was transported away.
“It is now necessary to identify the officers involved in the operation, ascertain who led the team, determine who discharged the firearm, establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting, and examine whether any internal investigation was subsequently conducted by police authorities,” Magistrate Temitope Oladele, Coroner stated.
Following a review of the Ikorodu hospital records, ASP Adeyemi Adewale and Inspector A. Augustine were identified as officers linked to the matter. The Coroner ordered that these officers, alongside any subsequent investigating personnel, appear before the court to give evidence.
Addressing the nature of the hospital records, Mr. Adebola Araba, representing the Office of the Attorney-General of Lagos State, noted that the available data implies Onifade was received as a Brought-In-Dead (BID) case. Araba maintained that even if limited to BID documentation, the hospital records remain vital to establishing the exact sequence of events.
Furthermore, the defense team named the Director of Gboah TV as another vital witness. The director allegedly arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting and was denied access to Onifade by the police officers on duty. The Coroner instructed Adamu to provide the director’s particulars to facilitate a formal summons.
A Collaborative Search for the Truth
Clarifying the legal boundaries of the court, Mr. Adebola Araba reminded the parties that the proceedings are inquisitorial rather than adversarial. The principal goal is to establish the cause and circumstances of death and to proffer recommendations to prevent future occurrences, rather than to allocate civil or criminal liability.
Adamu concurred but highlighted that the facts uncovered during the inquest would remain instrumental for the grieving family should they seek civil or criminal remedies in the future.
Urging all parties to maintain momentum through active cooperation, the Coroner adjourned the proceedings to July 29, 2026. The next court date is expected to see the presentation of the finalized LASUTH autopsy report and the commencement of witness cross-examinations.
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