A coroner’s
inquest set up by Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, to investigate the
cause (s) of the sudden death of Senator Isiaka Adeleke yesterday, gave a
verdict that
the late senator who represented Osun West Senatorial District,
died of drug overdose and not poison.
The coroner
and Chief Magistrate, Olusegun Ayilara, who passed the verdict, said all
evidences and accounts by witnesses before him indicated the first civilian
governor of the state died of drug overdose administered on him by unqualified
personnel. Ayilara upheld the autopsy report carried out on the late Adeleke at
the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital as well as the
toxicology report on the deceased.
“I have
critically gone through all the evidences before me. From the totality of
evidences, the possibility of poisoning of the deceased is not sustainable. I
have not been able to trace any link to the poisoning by anybody. The autopsy
report and the toxicologist report are
very specific to say there was no traces of poison or heavy metal in the blood
of the deceased. Therefore, it is my firm opinion that he was not poisoned, I
so hold,” he said.
Ayilara said
the evidence of the pathologist, Dr. Femi Solaja, the toxicologist, Police Forensic expert, DSP
Benedict Agboh and Prof. Akeem Lasisi, Chief Medical Director of LAUTECH
Teaching Hospital, “all scientifically pointed to the fact that the death of
the deceased was caused by aspiration of the gastric content, which blocked his
airwaves due to high level of alcohol, sedative, anagesic which caused vital
senses centre in the brain to shut down, resulting in death.”
He added
that the nurse, Mr. Alfred Aderibigbe, who treated the deceased, tried to puncture the scientific evidence by
denying administering overdose drugs on Adeleke while treating him for gout
arthritis.
The coroner
said Aderibigbe’s attempt failed because the evidence he gave in court and his
police statement were contradictory, saying the nurse was being economical with
the truth.
Ayilara in
the summary of his verdict said: “The deceased did not die of food poisoning.
The deceased had an administration of overdose of sedative and analgesic by an
unqualified personnel, Alfred Aderibigbe, through intravenous means which
action was hastened by the presence of alcohol in the system.
“The
deceased had patronised the said Aderibigbe for about 20 years and had taken
treatment from him without doctors’ prescription. The high dose of sedative and
analgesic with the mode of administration caused his death.
Magistrate
Ayilara, however, recommended further investigation of Aderibigbe’s
qualification to ascertain his claim to be a qualified nurse capable of
administering treatment on patients.
He said:
“The coroner, however, recommends that the qualification of Aderibigbe be
further investigated to be sure he is qualified as he claims.
He also
called on the office of the Department of Public Prosecution to look into his
case file with a view to determining the appropriate charges, if any, to be
pressed against him.
Ayilara also
tasked government on the need to sensitise the public to patronise only
qualified medical personnel when they need any medical attention.
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