EndSARS protest: Postmortem confirms Pelumi Onifade died from gunshot wound
A postmortem examination has confirmed that 20-year-old Pelumi Onifade, a journalist with Gboah TV, died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was covering the #EndSARS protest in Lagos in October 2020.
The injury caused massive internal bleeding. This is according to the postmortem report issued by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
Media Rights Agenda (MRA) disclosed the findings in a statement on Thursday. The statement was issued by its Communications Officer, Idowu Adewale. MRA has spearheaded the advocacy for accountability over the killing alongside the deceased’s family.
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MRA and Mr Onifade’s family are parties to the ongoing Lagos State coroner’s inquest into the death. The not-for-profit organisation was a plaintiff in the suit. That suit gave rise to the judgment ordering the constitution of the coroner court. The court was ordered to conduct an inquest into the killing.
The nine-page postmortem report gave the cause of death as “massive haemoperitoneum.” It also listed “penetrating firearms injury to the abdomen.”
MRA’s statement stated that Mr Onifade was shot and arrested on 24 October 2020. He was covering the #EndSARS protests in Lagos at the time.
The postmortem examination was carried out at the LASUTH morgue on 4 November 2020. The report was later finalised and signed on 30 July this year.
A consultant pathologist, Sunday Soyemi, conducted the examination. Another consultant, John Obafunwa, was in attendance as supervising consultant. The examination was authorised by the coroner, Bola Folarin-Williams.
What the postmortem found
The report said the projectile caused extensive injuries to Mr Onifade’s abdomen. The injuries resulted in massive internal bleeding.
It also found bony spicules embedded in the soft tissue of the abdomen. It found a fracture of the fifth lumbar vertebra.
The pathologist said the findings were consistent with a penetrating firearm injury. That was the conclusion in the report.
The report described the path of the projectile as “posterior-to-anterior, right-to-left and infero-superior.” In simple terms, it entered through the back. It travelled towards the front. It moved from the right side towards the left and went upwards.
The injuries were also said to be consistent with a firearm injury. The injury involved a ricochet of the projectile.
The body was tagged No. 1385 at the morgue. It was identified as Mr Onifade’s through DNA analysis by the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre.
MRA noted that the identification was confirmed during the coroner’s proceedings in June 2026. A DNA sample from Mr Onifade’s family matched the unidentified body. The body had been recovered from a morgue years earlier.
Inquest into his death
MRA explained that the postmortem report has been submitted to the coroner’s court. The court is investigating Mr Onifade’s death.
The inquest followed a judgement of the Federal High Court in Lagos. The court directed the Lagos State Government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the journalist’s death. It also directed the government to conduct a coroner’s inquest.
In a judgement on 19 July 2024, the judge Ayokunle Faji directed the Attorney-General of Lagos State to take steps to investigate Mr Onifade’s death. The judge also directed the Attorney-General to determine the cause of death and to identify and prosecute those responsible for the death.
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The judgement followed a suit filed by MRA. The suit was filed against the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police Force.
Premium Times reported in September 2024 that MRA had urged the state government to comply with the court order. The report was published in September 2024.
The coroner’s inquest later commenced. It is examining the circumstances surrounding Mr Onifade’s death.
The proceedings have been adjourned until 6 October, according to MRA. The inquest is ongoing.
#EndSARS protest
The EndSARS protest, which Mr Onifade was covering when he was killed in Lagos, was a nationwide demonstration. It was driven mostly by youths. The protesters were against the brutality and heavy-handed tactics of the Nigerian police. They were particularly against the police’s tactical unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). SARS operatives were notorious for the inhuman treatment and extortion of citizens.
The demonstrations erupted in October 2020. They followed the shooting of Daniel Chibuike in Delta State by police officers. The police later claimed that the victim survived. The police also alleged that protesters had killed a police officer.
Days after the protest started, the administration of then-President Muhammadu Buhari disbanded SARS. It also promised broad police reforms.
The then Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, also introduced the Special Weapon and Tactics Team (SWAT) as its replacement. The move was immediately rejected by Nigerians. They demanded thorough medical and psychological evaluations for former SARS members before they could join SWAT.
The hashtag #EndSARS quickly gained global traction. The Nigerian diaspora joined in to demand an end to police brutality. They also demanded a comprehensive reform of the security system.
The Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos turned out to be the epicentre of the protest. Soldiers were deployed to quell the protest there. They shot at peaceful protesters in the evening of 20 October 2020.
Police used teargas to disperse demonstrators in different parts of the country. They also used gunshots.
Security agencies, particularly the police, detained some protesters. They were held for months.
Mr Onifade is believed to have been killed by the brutal response of security forces. That response was aimed at quelling the protest.