By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Following the orders of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to ascertain what caused the death of a 20- year-old journalist Mr Pelumi Onifade with Gboah TV, who died during the #EndSARS protests in October 2020, the judicial inquiry into the cause of his death has commenced.
The judicial inquiry began in Lagos on October 17, 2024 with the investigating magistrate promising a thorough and impartial investigation to unravel the truth, assign responsibility for his death, if necessary, and provide his family with closure.
The coroner’s inquest into the death of Mr. Onifade, who was reportedly arrested by policemen attached to a Lagos state taskforce while he was covering the #EndSARS protests in 2020, and later found dead at a mortuary in Ikorodu in Lagos, where his body was deposited, was convened on the orders of a Federal High Court in Lagos following a wrongful death suit brought against the Police and the Lagos State Government by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) demanding, among other things, an investigation into the late journalist’s death.
In his judgement in the suit delivered on July 19, 2024, Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji directed the Attorney-General to take all necessary steps to ensure an investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Onifade’s death and to conduct a coroner’s inquest to ascertain the cause of death as well as identify and prosecute those responsible for his death.
At the preliminary hearing at the coroner’s inquest on October 17, MRA was represented by Mr. Kingsley Kenechukwu, a lawyer from the law firm of Charles Musa and Co., and Mr. Monday Arunsi, a Legal Officer at MRA, while the Attorney General of Lagos State was represented by Mr. Oluwaseun Akinde.
Mrs. T.R.A. Oladele, the District Coroner who presided, said the core objective of the inquest is to ascertain whether the death was preventable, the true cause of death, and the validity of any allegations made in connection with Mr. Onifade’s death, adding that the inquest would also serve to identify any negligence or culpability on the part of anyone.
The coroner heard from Mrs. Bose Onifade, mother of the late journalist, who recounted the conflicting reports about the location of her son’s body and the family’s futile efforts to secure the release of his corpse to them.
She told the coroner that the family had initially been told by the Lagos State Government Taskforce at Oshodi that the body had been taken to the Ikorodu mortuary, where her husband, Mr. Olatunde Onifade, accompanied by some of his church members, positively identified the body of the late journalist, but added that the mortuary refused to release the body to him.
According to Mrs. Onifade, they were later told that the body had been moved to Yaba mortuary, but on getting there, they were not given any clear information about its whereabouts. She said the confusion and lack of clarity has exacerbated the family’s distress.
In response, Mr. Akinde, representing the Attorney General, suggested that the taskforce responsible for the removal of the body, along with other relevant authorities, be contacted to provide documentation such as a serial number to track the body’s movements as this would help to clarify the body’s location and alleviate the family’s concerns.
The coroner directed that official records and documentation regarding the body’s transfer be obtained from the taskforce, adding that DNA testing might be necessary to conclusively confirm the body’s identity, especially given the discrepancies in the available records.
Mrs. Onifade told the coroner that her DNA had already been collected at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and the DNA Test Centre in CMS, Lagos, but that she had not received any feedback or follow-up from either of the institutions.
Mr. Akinde assured the coroner that he would follow up on the matter to ensure a prompt resolution.
The coroner directed that a comprehensive list of all relevant parties to be included in the inquest proceedings should be compiled and that the list should include not only the taskforce members but also any additional witnesses or officials with knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the death.
She said the objective is to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation by incorporating all pertinent testimonies and evidence.
The coroner accordingly directed Mr. Akinde to send a formal request to the appropriate agencies, to provide clarification on the status of Mr. Onifade’s body and ask for all relevant records, stressing that the primary objective of the inquest is to uncover the truth, assign accountability where necessary, and provide the deceased’s family with a sense of closure.
The coroner has adjourned further proceedings until October 30, 2024.
