A post-mortem examination conducted by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) has revealed that journalist Pelumi Onifade died from a penetrating firearm injury to the abdomen, resulting in massive internal bleeding.
Onifade, a reporter with Gboah TV, disappeared on October 24, 2020, after he was reportedly taken away by security personnel while covering the #EndSARS protests in Lagos.
The nine-page post-mortem report, signed on July 30, 2026, was submitted to the coroner investigating his death.
According to the report, the examination was conducted at the LASUTH morgue on November 4, 2020, by Consultant Pathologist, Professor Sunday Sokunle Soyemi, with Professor John Oladapo Obafunwa, Supervising Consultant, in attendance.
The body examined was tagged 1385 and was identified as that of Onifade through DNA analysis conducted by the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre. The DNA result confirming the identity of the body was presented to the coroner in June 2026.
The report listed the cause of death as “massive haemoperitoneum” and “penetrating firearms injury to the abdomen.”
Massive haemoperitoneum refers to a large accumulation of blood inside the abdominal cavity. The pathologist said the finding was consistent with a firearm injury to the abdomen.
The examination also revealed bony fragments embedded in the soft tissue of the abdomen, which the report said was consistent with a penetrating firearm injury. A fracture of the fifth lumbar vertebra was also identified.
The report stated that the projectile travelled from the back towards the front, from the right side towards the left and from the lower part of the body towards the upper part, indicating that it entered through the lower back and abdomen before causing extensive internal injuries.
The pathologist further reported that there was no external evidence of significant natural disease in the body.
Onifade was reportedly taken away while covering events in Lagos on October 24, 2020, despite wearing clothing identifying him as a journalist. His body was later discovered at a mortuary in Ikorodu.
In July 2024, the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the Lagos State Government to conduct a coroner’s inquest into his death and investigate the circumstances surrounding it.
The coroner’s inquest subsequently commenced, with proceedings focused on determining how Onifade died and identifying those responsible.
The latest post-mortem finding establishes the medical cause of death but does not determine who fired the weapon or who may be criminally responsible. Those issues remain part of the ongoing coroner’s proceedings.
Further proceedings in the inquest are expected to continue as the court examines evidence surrounding Onifade’s death.
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