A directive from the Federal High Court in Lagos has mandated the Lagos State Government to launch an investigation into the death of Pelumi Onifade, a 20-year-old reporter with Gboah TV. Onifade was allegedly apprehended by officers from the Lagos State Task Force while covering the #EndSARS demonstrations in 2020.
Tragically, the reporter was discovered deceased at an Ikorodu mortuary in Lagos, where his body was placed, following the nationwide protests against police brutality that resulted in the dissolution of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by the Communications Officer at Media Rights Agenda, Idowu Adewale, the court also mandated the state government to conduct a coroner’s inquest to determine the circumstances surrounding Onifade’s death and to identify and prosecute those accountable.
In November 2020, Gboah TV confirmed the unfortunate demise of Onifade, who had been reported missing on October 24, 2020.
The station’s announcement revealed that young Onifade was covering a mob attack at a governmental facility in the Oko Oba area of Agege Local Government when Task Force operatives intervened. The clash occurred as hoodlums attempted to loot relief supplies at the Ministry of Agriculture’s store in the Abattoir region of the state.
“Onifade Pelumi lost his life while reporting on the events at the palliative storage center. He will be dearly remembered,” the statement expressed.
In a lawsuit initiated by MRA regarding the journalist’s death against the police and the Lagos State Government, Justice Ayokunle Faji concurred that the government’s top legal officer could not conduct an inquest without a duplicate case file. However, he upheld that Section 74 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State empowers the Attorney General to request the case file from the Commissioner of Police.
Charles Musa, a Lagos-based lawyer slated for promotion to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, filed a legal summons on August 4, 2021, on behalf of MRA against the Commissioner of Police, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Attorney-General of Lagos State.
The petition urged the court to affirm that the shooting of Onifade in Oko Oba in Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State by police agents was unconstitutional and a severe violation of his fundamental rights as protected by relevant laws.
In his ruling, Justice Faji emphasized that while the Attorney General was not implicated in the alleged unlawful killing of Onifade, he was obligated to conduct an inquest based on MRA’s assertions.
He declared, “In fact, the 3rd respondent (the Attorney General) explicitly stated in paragraph 15 of the counter-affidavit his intention to prosecute any individual implicated in the case.”
Subsequently, Justice Faji directed the Attorney General to initiate a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Onifade’s demise and to convene a coroner’s inquest to establish the cause of death and bring those responsible to justice.