The Federal High Court in Lagos has mandated the Lagos State Government to investigate the death of Mr. Pelumi Onifade, a 20-year-old reporter for Gboah TV. Mr. Onifade was reportedly arrested by officers from a Lagos state task force while covering the #EndSARS protests in 2020. His body was later found at a mortuary in Ikorodu, Lagos.
The court’s decision, delivered by Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji, includes an order for a coroner’s inquest to determine the cause of Mr. Onifade’s death and to identify and prosecute those responsible. The verdict came from a suit filed by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) against the Police and the Lagos State Government.
Media Rights Agenda Communications Officer, Mr. Idowu Adewale, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. Justice Faji acknowledged that while the Lagos State Attorney-General cannot conduct an inquest without a case file, section 74 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State empowers him to request it from the Commissioner of Police.
Although the court dismissed five of MRA’s claims against the Police due to insufficient evidence, Justice Faji noted that the Attorney-General did not contest any facts in MRA’s affidavit but raised a legal issue instead. The Attorney-General’s counsel also committed to conducting an inquest during oral arguments.
The suit, filed on August 4, 2021, by Lagos-based lawyer Mr. Charles Musa, sought declarations that Mr. Onifade’s shooting and subsequent arrest by Police agents violated his fundamental rights. MRA also requested the court to direct the authorities to investigate the death transparently and independently, conduct a coroner’s inquest, and prosecute those found responsible.
Justice Faji highlighted that the Police did not respond to the suit, and there was no supporting documentation for claims about the mortuary. Despite this, he commended the Attorney-General’s office for its cooperation and noted that the Attorney-General had a duty to conduct an inquest into Mr. Onifade’s death.