Autopsy confirms journalist Onifade died from gunshot wound — Premium Times Nigeria
In Lagos, Nigeria, a forensic examination confirmed that 20-year-old Gboah TV journalist Pelumi Onifade died from a penetrating gunshot wound to the abdomen sustained while covering the #EndSARS protests in October 2020. The injury caused massive internal bleeding, Premium Times Nigeria reports, citing the findings of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
Forensic findings
The nine-page report listed massive hemoperitoneum, meaning an accumulation of blood in the abdominal cavity, and a penetrating gunshot wound to the abdomen as the causes of death. Experts documented significant abdominal injuries, bone fragments in soft tissues, and a fracture of the fifth lumbar vertebra.
According to the report, the projectile traveled from back to front, from right to left, and from bottom to top. Specialists also noted that the nature of the injuries was consistent with a gunshot wound involving a ricocheting projectile. The autopsy was conducted on November 4, 2020, at the hospital morgue, while the findings were prepared and signed on July 30, 2026.
Identification and investigation
The body, numbered 1385, was identified as Onifade's through DNA analysis conducted by the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre. In June 2026, during coroner's court hearings, a match between the journalist's family's DNA sample and the previously unidentified body was confirmed.
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Human rights organization Media Rights Agenda stated that Onifade was shot and detained on October 24, 2020, while working at protests in Lagos. The organization and the deceased's family are participating in the coroner's investigation.
The coroner's investigation began after a July 19, 2024, ruling by the Federal High Court in Lagos. The court ordered the Lagos State Attorney General to take measures to investigate the circumstances of Onifade's death, establish its cause, identify those involved, and bring them to justice. The next hearing is scheduled for October 6.
The #EndSARS protests in Nigeria in the autumn of 2020 were directed against police brutality, particularly by officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS. The government of then-President Muhammadu Buhari announced the disbandment of SARS and promised police reform.
