A Federal High Court in Lagos has directed the Lagos State Government to investigate the death of Pelumi Onifade, a 20-year-old reporter with Gboah TV, and conduct a coroner’s inquest to determine the cause of death.
Justice Olayinka Faji issued this order while delivering judgment on a suit filed by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) against the Lagos State Government and the police. The court ruled that the government must identify and prosecute those responsible for Onifade’s death.
Onifade was reportedly arrested by officers from the Lagos State Task Force during the #EndSARS protests in 2020 and later found dead in a mortuary in Ikorodu, Lagos.
A Lagos-based lawyer, Charles Musa, filed the suit on August 4, 2021, on behalf of MRA, citing various sections of the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The organization sought declarations of the illegality of Onifade’s shooting and detention, and an investigation into his death.
Justice Faji noted that while the police did not respond to the summons, there was a lack of direct evidence from Onifade’s family. However, he commended the Lagos Attorney-General’s office for its readiness to conduct an inquest and directed the Attorney-General to ensure a thorough investigation and prosecution of those responsible.
