A Nigerian mother, Bosede Onifade, is enduring a six-year ordeal in her fight to reclaim the body of her son, Pelumi Onifade, who was allegedly killed during the #EndSars anti-police brutality protests in October 2020. The 20-year-old intern journalist was reportedly shot while covering demonstrations in Abule Egba, Lagos State, and subsequently dragged into a police van, according to witnesses.
Pelumi, a mass communication student, was on assignment for Gboah TV when the incident occurred. His mother last saw him on the morning of 24 October 2020. After an extensive search, a relative located his body in a morgue in Ikorodu, 23 miles north of Lagos. However, by the time the family arrived, his remains were no longer there, leaving Mrs Onifade in an agonising limbo. "We want them to release his body. If they have already killed him; they should give his body to us to bury," she pleaded.
The family's persistent efforts to retrieve Pelumi's body have been met with repeated setbacks. They have attended judicial panels of inquiry set up for victims of the protests, provided DNA samples, and participated in court hearings. Despite a federal police spokesperson confirming in 2020 that Pelumi's death was reported to an inquiry panel, and the Lagos State government stating in 2024 that an internal investigation was underway, concrete progress remained elusive for years.
A significant development came on 24 June 2026, when a coroner's inquest finally confirmed that a body, identified by the tag 1385 at the mortuary, was indeed Pelumi, based on a DNA sample submitted by his mother. This confirmation, nearly six years after his disappearance, brings some clarity but the family's wait for his remains continues. The case has been adjourned until 29 July 2026, prolonging their anguish.
The #EndSars protests erupted in October 2020, as thousands of Nigerians took to the streets to protest against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars), a police unit notorious for abuses including kidnapping, extrajudicial killings, and rape. While Sars was disbanded and replaced by Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat), public distrust persisted. The demonstrations escalated into broader calls for good governance and police reform, and were met with a violent state response, including the Lekki massacre where at least 12 protesters were killed. Amnesty International reported at least 56 deaths during the protests. Despite various inquiry panels finding security agents responsible for abuses, no one has been held accountable for the deaths and injuries inflicted.