A Lagos State District Coroner, Mrs. Temitope Oladele, has ordered the Medical Director of Ikorodu General Hospital to provide Media Rights Agenda’s (MRA) lawyers with all hospital records relating to the deposit, release, or current status of the remains of late journalist Pelumi Onifade.
The directive was issued on Friday, August 8, 2025, during an inquest into the death of Onifade, who died under controversial circumstances while reportedly in police custody during the #EndSARS protests in October 2020.
The hospital must comply with the order within seven days of receipt.
The inquest, presided over by Mrs. Oladele, follows a Federal High Court ruling ordering a full investigation into the death of the Gboah TV reporter.
Onifade was allegedly arrested by policemen attached to the Lagos State Taskforce while covering the protests, and his body was later discovered at the Ikorodu General Hospital mortuary.
The order followed application by MRA’s counsel, Mr. Monday Arunsi, who complained that the hospital had refused to release the requested information. Mr. Arunsi, who appeared alongside Ms. Jennifer Wala from Charles Musa & Co., told the court that the Medical Director had declined to cooperate, citing patient confidentiality.
“The Medical Director informed us that the information sought was confidential in nature, being a medical report, and could not be released without a court order,” Mr. Arunsi said while addressing the coroner.
The MRA’s lawyer explained that the visit to the hospital on July 31, 2025, was in compliance with the court’s earlier directive on July 8, 2025, to obtain records showing when Onifade’s body was deposited, when it was released, or its current status. However, their attempt was unsuccessful due to the hospital’s position.
Mr. Arunsi therefore applied orally to the coroner for an order compelling the hospital to provide the necessary records. He argued that the documents were essential to unravel the circumstances surrounding the journalist’s death and to comply with the Federal High Court’s instructions.
In granting the request, Mrs. Oladele ordered the Medical Director or “any other person with the authority or in charge of keeping the medical records” to disclose the documents to MRA’s lawyers within seven days. “The hospital must provide the requested information without further delay,” she ruled.
The coroner’s inquest was ordered by Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji in a judgment delivered on July 19, 2024. The judge had directed the Attorney-General of Lagos State to ensure a thorough investigation, ascertain the cause of death, and identify and prosecute those responsible.
The case has now been adjourned to August 19, 2025, for mention, as the legal representatives and Onifade’s family await the hospital’s compliance with the court order.