Six years after losing her son during the 2020 #EndSARS protests, Bosede Onifade has made a heartbreaking appeal to authorities to release the remains of her son, Pelumi Onifade, so the family can finally lay him to rest.

Pelumi, a 20-year-old Mass Communication student and intern with Gboah TV, disappeared on October 24, 2020, while covering the #EndSARS protest in Abule Egba, Lagos.

ALSO READ: Tinubu Pushes State Police, Sends Constitutional Amendment Bill to Reps

Eyewitnesses alleged that the young journalist was struck by a bullet before operatives of the Lagos State Police Taskforce reportedly bundled him into a vehicle alongside arrested protesters.

His whereabouts remained unknown for years, leaving his family in anguish.

A major breakthrough came on June 24, 2026, when a coroner’s inquest confirmed through DNA testing that a body labelled 1385 at a mortuary was Pelumi’s.

The DNA matched a sample provided by his mother, ending years of uncertainty over his fate.

The confirmation followed an August 2024 judgment by Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which directed the Lagos State Government to conduct a coroner’s inquest to determine the cause of Pelumi’s death and identify those responsible.

The order was issued after a suit filed by Media Rights Agenda against the police and the Lagos State Government.

Reacting to the outcome of the inquest, Bosede appealed to the authorities to release her son’s body, saying the family deserves the opportunity to give him a proper burial.

“We want them to release his body. If they have already killed him, they should give his body to us to bury,” she said.

She maintained that her son was innocent and condemned the circumstances surrounding his death.

“He was not doing anything wrong. Even if he was doing something wrong, they could have arrested him and not kill him in cold blood.”

Bosede also spoke about the emotional and financial burden the family’s six-year search for justice has placed on her, revealing that she has suffered depression and memory lapses while raising Pelumi’s two younger sisters through proceeds from selling homemade ogi (pap).

Speaking on reports of compensation for victims’ families, she questioned whether any amount of money could replace her son.

“They said they would give families of the victims some money, but will it bring my son back to life?”

She, however, added that any financial support could help provide for Pelumi’s younger siblings.

“But at least we can use it to take care of his siblings. I know that whatever Pelumi couldn’t do for us, his siblings would.”
Despite the years that have passed, Bosede said she remains committed to preserving her son’s memory.

“Many people try to start calling me by his siblings’ names; I tell them not to do it because his name will never depart from my household.”

The #EndSARS protests erupted across Nigeria in October 2020 as demonstrations against police brutality and abuses linked to the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The protests later evolved into broader calls for police reform, accountability and good governance.

The fight against the deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faces a major setback as frontline health workers have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike over months of unpaid salaries and allowances.

The protest comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the true scale of the outbreak could be between two and four times higher than official figures.

SEE ALSO: Panic in Europe as France Records First-Ever Ebola Case

According to the latest official data released on Tuesday, the outbreak, which was declared on May 15, has claimed more than 700 lives, with nearly 2,000 confirmed infections across the country.

Health workers stationed at the Ebola treatment centre in Rwampara, one of the hardest-hit areas in Ituri Province, staged a protest on Monday by burning tyres and temporarily blocking access to the facility.

“We’ve been treating Ebola patients without pay since May 15. We continue to do so because that is our oath but we are working in very difficult conditions,” doctor Pascal Bahoya said.

Medical personnel at the treatment centre warned that they would begin a “full-scale strike” without maintaining minimum services if authorities fail to honour their 48-hour ultimatum demanding payment of salaries and bonuses.

During a recent visit to Ituri, Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba admitted that there had been delays in salary payments and assured health workers that the organisational issues responsible for the delay would be resolved.

The outbreak has placed enormous pressure on the country’s fragile healthcare system. According to the National Public Health Institute (INSP), at least 112 healthcare workers have contracted the virus, while 35 have died.

WHO also raised concerns that the epidemic may be significantly larger than official records suggest. Speaking in Geneva, WHO emergencies director Chikwe Ihekweazu said the agency’s modelling indicates “the scale of the outbreak is at least two to four times the number of cases that we have found.”

The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola responsible for the current outbreak has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, although a clinical trial involving two experimental treatments is currently underway.

The disease has spread beyond its epicentre in Ituri to North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and Haut-Uele provinces, while neighbouring Uganda has also recorded 20 cases, including two deaths.

As of July 12, authorities said 727 patients were receiving treatment in Ebola treatment centres across affected regions.

Eastern DRC continues to grapple with decades of armed conflict, mass displacement and poor sanitation, factors that have complicated efforts to contain the virus.

Despite the challenges, the international community has mobilised approximately $1.5 billion to support the country’s Ebola response, although officials say the DRC’s chronically underfunded healthcare system remains under severe strain.

President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a bill to the House of Representatives seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide the legal framework for the establishment of state police across Nigeria.

The proposed Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, is widely seen as one of the most significant efforts to reform Nigeria’s policing system since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

In a letter dated June 15, 2026, and addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the President urged lawmakers to give the bill expedited consideration, describing it as a key component of his administration’s security reforms.

SEE MORE: Police Link Politicians to 30 Killings Ahead of Osun Gov Election

The letter, read during Tuesday’s plenary by Speaker Abbas, stated that the bill seeks to create “a constitutional pathway for the establishment of State Police Services” to strengthen Nigeria’s response to growing security challenges.

Tinubu said the proposed legislation builds on previous work already undertaken by the House of Representatives while introducing additional safeguards to ensure the effective operation of a dual policing structure.

“This bill builds on the significant work already done in this regard by the House of Representatives and incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure to address our nation’s evolving national security challenges can be achieved quickly and effectively to the benefit of all Nigerians,” the President stated.

He described the legislation as a critical part of his administration’s strategy to reorganise the country’s security architecture and appealed to lawmakers to fast-track its passage.

“The proposed legislation is a critical component of our administration’s strategy to reorganise Nigeria’s security architecture to better protect our citizens, and I am confident that the House of Representatives will act quickly to consider and pass this bill,” Tinubu wrote.

The President also expressed confidence that the National Assembly would act swiftly on the proposal, saying he looked forward to its prompt consideration.

Nigeria currently operates a single, centrally controlled policing system under the Nigeria Police Force as provided by the 1999 Constitution.

However, rising insecurity, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and other violent crimes, has intensified calls for the decentralisation of policing.

The push for state police has gained momentum in recent years as governors increasingly rely on regional and state-backed security outfits, including Amotekun in the South-West, Ebube Agu in parts of the South-East and various vigilante organisations, to complement federal security agencies.

While supporters argue that decentralised policing would improve intelligence gathering, community policing and response time, critics have consistently warned that state-controlled police could be abused by governors for political purposes.

If approved by two-thirds of both chambers of the National Assembly and ratified by at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, the bill would amend the Constitution to establish a dual policing system, allowing both the Federal Government and state governments to operate constitutionally recognised police services.

The proposal is expected to trigger fresh debate among lawmakers and stakeholders over the structure, funding, oversight and operational safeguards for state police as the National Assembly begins consideration of the bill.