Adeleke's Coroner Inquest ; A Guide to the Mystery
On the 23rd of April, the whole of Osun State was thrown into sadness. Someone had died! But the person who died wasn't just a someone, he was the first civilian Governor of the State!
He was a Senator in the National Assembly, a people's person, an aspirant for the 2018 Osun Governorship election, he was Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke.
Adeleke was a man in his prime, full of life and ambitions, hale and typically healthy. This man had died.
People went berserk!
No, it can't be. Adeleke couldn't be dead! He was just at a party yesterday. He only complained of leg pain. How could he die like that? People asked unbelievably. But the story was true. Adeleke had really died.
The rumour started afterwards. Oh! He must have been poisoned... He was killed because of his governorship ambition! People pointed accusing fingers at the All Progressives Congress( APC).
Aregbesola reacts
The Governor of Osun State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola reacted to the rumour. He decided to investigate the sudden death of late Senator and set up a Coroner Inquest. The Inquest headed by the Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara thus swung into action.
To start with, the Coroner, Chief Magistrate Ayilara summoned those who saw the late Senator shortly before his death and the testimony commenced.
Shocking Revelations
While the party leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun West Senatorial District, Honourable Amobi Akintola claimed that, to the best of his knowledge, the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke did not eat at the final burial of his grandmother, Balqiz Atoke Salimonu on April 22, the State Deputy Governor, Mrs Grace Titilayo Tomori testified that the late Senator actually ate something at the party.
According to Amobi, "the late Senator Adeleke arrived at my party around 4:30pm in the company of 20 to 30 political allies and was served food but the Senator didn't eat because poundo yam was presented but he preferred semolina. He was equally offered some fish, he didn't eat that too.
"He also drank the drink he bought which was Remy Martins. Although his friends mixed the drink with coca cola, late Senator Adeleke drank his undiluted. Later the Deputy Governor, Mrs Grace Titilayo Tomori came and they both sat together before she eventually left the party too.
However in her account, Deputy Governor actually ate at the party.
According to her, "I got to Kuta after 5.00pm and was received by the late Senator Adeleke. Because of that honour, I followed him to the table he sat which had about 8 other men.
"A woman later brought a plate of rice but the deceased didn't want to eat it initially. He was just turning the food around. He later managed to eat the spoons before pushing the food aside. A man also brought a drink but I can't really remember its name. After giving Hon. Amobi the package I had for him, I left the party and that was all until I heard about the death of the senator the following day."
Autopsy reports say it all
Chief Medical Director of Ladoke Akintola Teaching Hospital, (Lautech), Professor Akeem Olawale Lasisi revealed the late Senator might have died of over-dose of drugs.
He explained that when the corpse of the deceased was brought to the hospital, he asked for his medical history but he was told one person that was neither a doctor nor a nurse injected him with some medicines when he complained of leg pain the day before he died.
Lasisi said the drugs included 5% of dextrose, intravenous fluid glory set, scalp vein needle, 2 ampoules of analgin, 4 ampoules of 10kg of diazepam, 1 ampoule of pentasozine, 1 ampoule of getamacine and valium which when given in excess dosage could cause reflex collapse and blockage of respiratory system.
He told the coroner that from the look of things and the empty ampoules, the late Senator was given those drugs in excess.
"As a medical doctor of 27 years, I have never given 40 grams of diazepam. Analgin is also an outlawed drug, I wonder where the so called person got that from."
Also a Consultant Anatomic pathologist from Lautech Teaching Hospital, Dr Olufemi Taiwo Solaja who conducted autopsy on the deceased revealed the late Senator died of drug misuse.
Solaja said the result of toxicology test carried out on the body of the deceased shows abnormally high levels of alcohol, sedatives and analgesics.
He explained that the overdose of drugs which include Analgin, Diazepam, Pentasozine and Getamacine used by the deceased shortly before his death were also responsible.
He however noted that the deceased was not poisoned as speculated as there was no traces of poison or heavy metals recorded in the toxicology report.
According to him,"When we examined the body of the deceased, there was an odour of alcohol around him and his tongue, lips, finger and toe nails had a bluish discoloration. However, there was no external injuries on his body.
"All body cavities were normal and free of excess fluids except the trachea which was reddish as if there was bleeding there, it also contains traces of gastric contents.
"Also, his heart was enlarged double for his age and sex and the ventricle wall was thickened and weighted 2.5 more than expected.
"The tissues were normal apart from the heart which shows hypertrophy and the liver which shows alcohol stereohepatitis."
"Abnormally high level of alcohol, sedatives and analgesics in the blood of the deceased, coupled with multiple drug overdose showed in the toxicology report carried out as the cause of the Senator's death."
"The late Senator apparently vomited and aspirated due to the deep sedation and so the aspiration of the gastric contents blocked the air ways thus depriving the body of oxygen.
"This showed on the body as a tinge of bluish discoloration and could cause vital centers in the body to shut down,
thereby leading to death." Solaja added.
Nurse denies poisoning Adeleke
The Nurse who allegedly treated late Senator Isiaka Adeleke the night before he died, Alfred Aderibigbe, denied giving the deceased drug overdose as claimed by the pathologist.
Aderibigbe explained he only diluted the drugs but didn't actually administer all of them on the deceased.
Aderibigbe who is a Chief Nursing Officer at a Comprehensive Health Centre in Edun Abon, in Ife North Local Government Area of the state, denied administering all the empty ampoules of injections found in the room on the deceased.
His words, "On April 23, I was sleeping inside my house. At around past 4.00am, I heard some people banging my gate, shouting. I opened the window and saw his campaign vehicle and those inside said the Gov (Adeleke) sent for me. They said they had called me earlier. I picked my phone and checked and saw that I had 16 missed calls. Senator had called, his friend, Dipo Faborode and others had also called.
"I called Oga (Adeleke) and Dipo picked it and Senator collected the phone from me and told me that that gout was disturbing him. He said I should bring along his injections. When I got there, I saw him in pains. He told me that he had called me several times. He asked for his injections and I brought them out.
"On April 17, late Senator Adeleke had shown me a prescription and the drugs he got from a Lagos Doctor. He asked me to keep the drugs but didn't give me the prescription. I don't know the name of the Doctor but it was an Igbo name. I saw something hospital but I can't remember the specific name.
"Then I started checking him, his blood pressure was 130/80. Temperature 37.4, respiration was 26 beat per minute and pulse was 86. After that, I told him he was okay as all his vital signs were okay.
"Because, I saw some drugs and water on a table, I asked if he had taken anything before i came and he said there was nothing he had not used.
"I broke three out of the four injections I brought to trick him, since he insisted that I gave him all the dosage as against what I saw in the prescription. I only gave him Diazepam 20ml, Analgin 50ml and hydrochloric 200ml.
"I stayed with him from around 4.00am and left at 7:50am. I normally stay until he wakes up on such occasions, but I had to go and take permission from the Church because I was supposed to teach Sunday school but I left Dipo there.
"I came back and met him still laying on the bed the same way I left him. Dipo was behind me when I entered, I called his name "De Gov" but, he didn't not respond, I was about to close the door when Dipo told me he raised his hands a little. I rushed to him and discovered he was not breathing well then I started giving him cardiac massage, but when I couldn't handle it anymore, I shouted for help.
"I and Dipo raised alarm and he was quickly rushed to Biket Hospital. The manner of the cars' speed attracted people's attention.
"When I eventually got to the hospital, I was told the Senator had died. Dr Adenle who knew I was his nurse, asked me what I gave him and I explained the drugs to him. Dr Adenle said they were normal dosage for gout.
"Dipo was asked to bring the drugs I used and he brought everything, including the ones I didn't use, that is what people saw and concluded I gave the late Senator overdose."
Toxicology reports contradicts nurse's claims
Following Nurse Alfred Aderibigbe's claims that he didn't really administer all the drugs found in the late lawmaker's room, the police toxicology report was reviewed and it was discovered that Aderibigbe was actually economical with the truth about the quantity of drugs and how it was administered on the deceased before his death.
Aderibigbe had denied administering Gentamicine on the Senator while treating him for gout.
The Nurse said he diluted Hydrocortisone in fluid and gave Metamyzole, Diazepam, Pentazocine and Analgin intramuscular to the deceased.
However, the toxicology report on the pathological examination carried out on the deceased by the police forensic expert, Benedict Agbu revealed that Adeleke was administered with Gentamicine before his death.
The report which was admitted in exhibit at the Coroner disclosed that Metamyzole, Diazepam, Pentazocine and Analgin were administered on Adeleke intravenously against Aderibigbe’s claim.
Analyses of the findings in the blood and urine samples taken from Adeleke’s corpse, as contained in the toxicology report proved negative result for the presence of chlorinated hydrocarbon herbicides, organo-paosforous pesticide, rodenticides, metallic poison, cynide and tri-cylic anti depressants.
The report which was read at the Coroner by a Superintendent of Police, Mr. Moses read in part, “The digested food particles were found in the gastric content but no drug particle was found in the exhibit. The report reads in part:
“Diazepam, Pentazocine, Analgin, Hydrocortisone and Gentamicine were confirmed in the blood and urine samples submitted.
“Metamyzole and its Metabolites 27.2ug/ml, Hydrocortisone 9.25ug/ml, Gentamicin 17.4ug/ml, Pentazocine 4.5ug/ml, Diazepam 12.2 ug/ml, also urine Diazepam concetration 7.1ug/ml.
“Fatalities have been reported at the following blood concentration: Metamyzole (Analgin) 22.0ug/ml, Pentazocin, 1.2ug/ml, Gentamicin 12ug/ml, Diazepam, 5.0ug/ml, hydrocortisone, 3.7ug/ml.
“The presence of alcohol was also confirmed in the blood, urine and gastric content with concentration of 450ug/ml, 215ug/ml and 562ug/ml respectively. The blood concentrations of the drugs are above the levels known to cause fatalities.
“The confirmation of Diazepam, Pentazocine, Hydrocortisone and alcohol with the established concentration in the body of the deceased is capable of producing a fatal Synergetic Hypertensive and respiratory depressive effect. With the route of the delivery (intravenous) of the drugs, the effect will be sudden and capable of occurring in minutes.
"Such fatalities have been reported in literature. The low concentrations of the substances in the gastric content are as a result of the route of administration of the drugs.”
Family speaks on Inquest
From the very start when Governor Rauf Aregbesola announced he was setting up an Inquest into the death of the late lawmaker, his family had reacted, saying they were not in support of the Inquest and all through the sittings, the family shunned the Coroner's summon.
However when Pathologist Solaja said he has submitted the autopsy report to the police, the family again reacted, asking why the Pathologist would do that when it was the family that ordered for the autopsy in the first instance. In a reply, Pathologist Solaja denied the claim that the late Senator's family ordered for the autopsy carried out on the deceased.
This was even as the Police stated that it is the normal and standard practice that when Form B and C are served on pathologists, the report of the autopsy is to be submitted to the police and not the family members as it is in the present case of late Senator Adeleke.
For further inquiry into the death of the late lawmaker, the Coroner, Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara thereby called the general public to submit memorandum who could help the Inquest in its cause.
While it is believed that the deceased family would have tangible reasons for shunning the inquest, many keen observers and social analysts are of the opinion that the Inquest is in the overall interest of the general public and posterity. They equally maintained that, in such circumstance, the Coroner Inquest remains a guide to unraveling the 'misery' that surrounds the death of the late lawmaker.
Many who hold this view posited that going by the protests, violent attacks, accusations and counter-accusations that trailed the Senator's death, the instituting an Inquest which holds its sittings in the public glare remains a global best practice.
It is hoped that despite the reservations and controversy that has emanated, particularly from the deceased family, the outcome of the Inquest will calm the frayed nerves and succeed in throwing light into real cause of the death of a very promising son of Osun.
Adieu Isiaka Adeleke, the Gov.
Sun re o.