Nigerian skit maker and activist Adebowale Adedayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, has reignited calls for justice as the nation marks the anniversary of the #EndSARS protests. Onifade, a 20-year-old budding journalist, was brutally killed in October 2020 while covering the anti-police brutality protests, and four years later, his killers remain at large.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Macaroni slammed the Lagos State Government for failing to release Onifade’s body for burial and demanded justice for the young reporter.
“I am dedicating this year’s #EndSARS Anniversary to Pelumi Onifade—a promising journalist who was arrested and killed in detention for recording a politician shooting at protesters. Four years later, no justice. The Lagos State Government has even refused to release his body to his family. This injustice must end!!!” Mr Macaroni declared.
The #EndSARS movement, which began on social media in October 2020, was a direct response to the killing of a young man by members of the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The protest erupted into a nationwide outcry against extrajudicial killings, police brutality, and corruption, with thousands of young Nigerians storming the streets, demanding reform.
Initially peaceful, the demonstrations soon turned chaotic as hoodlums hijacked the movement, looting stores, burning buildings, and even orchestrating jailbreaks. In response, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu declared a 24-hour curfew, deploying military forces to quell the unrest.
The infamous Lekki Toll Gate massacre followed, where soldiers allegedly fired live ammunition at unarmed protesters. A report by the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry confirmed at least 46 deaths and injuries—a horrifying episode that cemented the protests in the nation’s history.
Caught in the crossfire of the chaos was Pelumi Onifade, a 20-year-old intern with GboahTV and student at Tai Solarin University of Education. On 24 October 2020, Onifade was assigned to cover a break-in at a government facility in the Abattoir, Oko Oba area of Agege, Lagos.
While documenting the events, Onifade—wearing a press jacket that clearly identified him as a journalist—was shot by Nigerian police officers. Despite efforts to locate him, his lifeless body was discovered days later in a mortuary in Ikorodu. His grieving family has since battled for justice and the release of his body, but authorities have remained defiant.
For four long years, Bose Onifade, Pelumi’s heartbroken mother, has fought tirelessly to hold those responsible accountable.
