LASUTH Says DNA Loss Hindered Identification in Pelumi Onifade's Inquest
Late Pelumi Onifade The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) has told a coroner’s court that it could not identify a body believed to be that of late journalist Pelumi Onifade due to the loss of DNA samples during the 2020 unrest. The hospital, in a report submitted to the court, said all DNA samples at the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre were destroyed when the facility was burnt during the EndSARS protests. The disclosure was made at the resumed hearing of the coroner’s inquest into Onifade’s death on April 7, 2026. However, counsel to Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Mr. Alimi Adamu, challenged the hospital’s claim, describing it as inconsistent with established timelines. Adamu told the court that official records show the DNA centre was burnt on October 23, 2020—one day before Onifade’s death on October 24—arguing that DNA samples later collected from the journalist’s family could not have been among those destroyed. He added that the samples were taken days after ...