A long-running search for answers in the case of missing #EndSARS journalist Pelumi Emmanuel Onifade has reached a significant milestone after DNA testing reportedly confirmed that an unidentified body held for years by authorities belongs to the young reporter.
Onifade, a 20-year-old intern with Gboah TV, disappeared on October 24, 2020, while covering events linked to the #EndSARS protests in Lagos. Witnesses alleged that he was shot and detained by security operatives after documenting violence during the unrest. His disappearance quickly became one of the most prominent unresolved cases from the protest movement.
For years, his family sought confirmation about a body tagged “1385” that had been recovered and transferred through government facilities. Proceedings at the Coroner Court in Lagos repeatedly focused on obtaining autopsy reports and DNA results from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre.
The case faced numerous delays. During earlier hearings, LASUTH stated that identification efforts had been complicated by the destruction of forensic materials during the #EndSARS crisis, while family representatives and media rights advocates continued to push for definitive answers.
The reported DNA match now provides the strongest confirmation yet that the remains are those of Onifade. The development offers partial closure for his family after nearly six years of uncertainty, though questions surrounding the circumstances of his death remain unresolved.
Media rights groups have continued to call for accountability and a thorough investigation into what happened to the young journalist. The ongoing coroner’s inquest is expected to examine the evidence surrounding his disappearance, detention, and death.
