A postmortem examination conducted by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) has found that journalist Pelumi Onifade died from a penetrating firearm injury to the abdomen that caused massive internal bleeding.

Onifade, a reporter with Gboah TV, disappeared on October 24, 2020, after reportedly being taken away by security personnel while covering the #EndSARS unrest in Lagos. His remains were later recovered from a mortuary in Ikorodu and identified through DNA testing in June 2026.

According to the nine-page postmortem report, the cause of death was recorded as “massive haemoperitoneum” and “penetrating firearms injury to the abdomen.” The report identified the examined remains, tagged body number 1385, as those of Onifade based on DNA evidence provided by the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre.

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 report, which was finalised and signed on July 30, 2026, stated that a firearm projectile entered Onifade’s body through the lower back and caused extensive damage to organs and tissues within the abdomen, resulting in severe internal bleeding.

The pathologist also reported bony fragments embedded in the soft tissue of the abdomen, which were considered consistent with a penetrating firearm injury. The examination further revealed a fracture of the fifth lumbar vertebra.

The trajectory of the projectile was described as posterior-to-anterior, right-to-left and infero-superior, meaning that it travelled from the back towards the front of the body, from the right towards the left and upward through the body.

The report said the injuries observed inside the abdominal cavity were consistent with a firearm injury and the subsequent ricochet of the projectile.

The findings provide medical evidence concerning the cause of Onifade’s death, but the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the identity of whoever fired the weapon remain matters for the ongoing coroner’s inquest.

The postmortem report forms part of an ongoing coroner’s investigation into Onifade’s death.

The inquest followed a 2024 Federal High Court judgment in Lagos arising from a suit filed by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) against the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police Force.

In a judgment delivered on July 19, 2024, Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji directed the Lagos State Government to take steps to investigate the circumstances surrounding Onifade’s death and conduct a coroner’s inquest to establish the cause of death and identify those responsible.

The inquest subsequently encountered delays in obtaining the autopsy and forensic documentation. In June 2026, the coroner ordered LASUTH and the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre to submit relevant forensic reports concerning body 1385.

The DNA evidence was eventually presented to the court on June 23, 2026, confirming that the unidentified body was Onifade’s. The DNA result matched a reference sample provided by his mother, Adebose Onifade.

In July, the coroner directed that evidence from material witnesses should begin while the court awaited the formal release of the autopsy report. Potential witnesses identified during the proceedings include Onifade’s colleague, police officers connected with the recovery of his remains and preparation of police records, and other individuals who may have information about the circumstances of his death.

The latest development means the court now has the postmortem findings alongside the DNA evidence confirming the identity of the deceased.

Further proceedings in the coroner’s inquest are scheduled to continue on October 6, 2026, where evidence concerning the circumstances of Onifade’s death is expected to be considered.

The postmortem finding establishes the medical cause of death; it does not, by itself, determine who fired the weapon or establish criminal responsibility. Those questions remain subject to the ongoing investigation and coroner’s proceedings.