Our Reporter, Abuja
Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has challenged claims by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) that DNA samples linked to the identification of late journalist Pelumi Onifade were destroyed during the October 2020 #EndSARS unrest, describing the explanation as inconsistent and untenable.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, MRA said LASUTH informed the coroner’s court that it could not identify a body believed to be that of Onifade because all DNA samples at the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre were lost when the facility was burnt during the protests.
But the organisation, through its lead counsel, Mr. Alimi Adamu, disputed the claim, arguing that the explanation contradicts established timelines. According to him, official records show that the DNA Centre was burnt on October 23, 2020, a day before Onifade was reportedly shot and killed on October 24, 2020.
MRA noted that DNA samples from members of Onifade’s family were collected several days after his death, making it impossible for those samples to have been among materials destroyed in the fire.
Adamu told the court that the sequence of events reveals a “fundamental inconsistency” in LASUTH’s account, adding that attributing the alleged destruction of the samples to the October 23 incident “cannot be reconciled with the established chronology.”
While stating that no bad faith was being alleged, MRA said the discrepancy requires urgent clarification to preserve the integrity of the investigative process.
The group also raised concerns over delays in the ongoing coroner’s inquest into Onifade’s death, blaming LASUTH’s repeated failure to comply with court orders directing it to produce a detailed report on an unidentified body tagged 1385, believed to be the journalist’s remains.
The order, first issued on November 18, 2025, by the investigating magistrate, Mrs. Temitope Oladele, was part of efforts to determine the identity and cause of death of the victim, who was said to have been shot while covering the #EndSARS protests.
At the resumed hearing on April 7, 2026, the coroner noted that LASUTH had submitted its report, which maintained that DNA evidence was lost in the fire that gutted the forensic centre.
However, MRA insisted that the explanation raises serious questions, particularly as Onifade’s parents were never informed that their DNA samples had been destroyed or compromised, despite subsequent interactions with hospital officials, including the Chief Pathologist.
According to the organisation, the parents are willing to testify under oath to that effect if required by the court.
MRA further urged the coroner to consider appropriate orders to ensure full compliance with the law governing investigations into sudden or violent deaths, including proper handling and custody of the body.
The coroner, while acknowledging the importance of DNA evidence, said the immediate priority is to determine the location and status of the body central to the inquest. The court was informed that the remains may have been transferred from LASUTH to another facility in the Yaba area of Lagos.
Following submissions by MRA’s counsel, the court directed the Chief Medical Director of the Yaba facility to produce a comprehensive report on the whereabouts and condition of the body within 14 days.
The inquest was adjourned to April 28, 2026.
