In Nigeria: TV station confirms death of reporter ‘arrested by Lagos task force’ during EndSARS violence

Pelumi Onifade, a 20-year-old reporter with Gboah TV, who was allegedly arrested by officers attached to the Lagos State Task Force, has been found dead.

 

The management of the online TV channel yesterday confirmed the death of its reporter who has been missing since Saturday, October 24.

Onifade, a 200-level student of the Department of History at Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, was an intern with Gboah TV. He was reportedly taken away by the task force on October 24 while covering an attack by a mob at a government facility despite wearing a jacket showing he was working as a reporter.

 

In a statement, the medium said Onifade was covering the scene of a mob attack at a government facility in the Oko Oba axis of Agege Local Government Area when operatives of the task force stormed the scene and engaged hoodlums who attempted to loot palliatives at the Ministry of Agriculture store in the Abattoir area of the state.

 

Pelumi was wounded during the task force duel with the miscreants who hijacked the #EndSARS protests against police brutality. The TV station also claimed the wounded reporter was taken away by the men of the task force and “was later found dead at Ikorodu mortuary after days of searching all police stations and meeting with the Lagos State Task Force.”

The statement partly read: “It has been confirmed that the Gboah TV staff, ‘Onifade Pelumi,’ arrested by the Lagos State Task Force at the Ministry of Agriculture, Abattoir, Agege, is dead. The police are currently investigating the matter and have assured the management, the family, and the community that the investigation would be thorough and swift.

 

“Onifade Pelumi died while covering the scenes at the site of the palliative storage centre. He will be deeply missed.”

   

Chairman of the task force, Yinka Egbeyemi, when contacted said the matter has been forwarded to the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu. “Please contact the PPRO for insights on the matter. The case is under investigation and it has been transferred to the Commissioner of Police,” Egbeyemi said.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, however, asked for more time to seek information on the incident. Theguardianng