SAN FRANCISCO, May 17, (THEWILL) – A pathologist, Solaja Olufemi, who conducted autopsy examination on the first civilian governor of Osun State, Isiaka Adeleke, has refuted the belief that Adeleke was poisoned, explaining that there were no traces of poison or heavy metal in the examined body of the deceased.
Speaking on Wednesday while testifying before the Coroner inquest in Osogbo, the Consultant, Anatomic Pathologist with the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Teaching Hospital linked the demise of the senator to excessive dose of analgesics, sedatives and alcohol.
THEWILL recalls that the investigation and autopsy began after the late Senator’s family members and supporters alleged that he was poisoned.
The family of Senator Isiaka Adeleke, has already rejected the inquest, saying its outcome had been predetermined.
They vowed to sue the Chief Medical Director of the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Prof. Akeem Lasisi, and other medical practitioners for alleged unprofessional conduct in the handling of the report of the autopsy demanded by the family into the death of the senator.
Reacting to the testimony of the CMD before the coroner, Mr. Olusegun Ayilara, the family led by Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, said at a press conference in Ede on Wednesday that they neither participated nor believed in the inquest ordered by Governor Rauf Aregbsola.
They lamented that Lasisi has refused to give the family the result of the autopsy carried out on the deceased.
According to Dr. Adeleke, “It is quite disheartening, that we live in a country where some of our supposed professionals can be so easily compromised by their paymasters without any regard to the oath they swore to as medical health practitioners.
“The family has also noted with interest the contradictory testimonies at the Coroner’s Inquest as to whether Senator Isiaka Adeleke had anything to eat at the last party he attended that was hosted by an Osun State APC chieftain.
“The Adeleke family hereby puts it on record, that based on the high level of unprofessional conduct already displayed by the CMD of LAUTECH, the integrity of the ‘Yet to be ready’ autopsy must have been seriously compromised.
”The Adeleke family is consulting layers and is considering all legal options available to address this unfortunate and unprofessional conduct exhibited by the medical practitioners in this matter.”
In the main, Olufemi indicated in his testimony that the police carried out a toxicological examination on the deceased and the result was only given to him to read on Monday.
He said the pathological examination carried out on Adeleke’s corpse revealed that the deceased consumed excessive alcohol and was given an overdose of sedative and analgesics.
Being led in evidence by Oyindamola Daramola, a Senior Legal Officer for LAUTECH hospital, Olufemi said the histology of the tissues from the body of the deceased was normal except from the heart which showed hypertrophy, adding that the liver showed alcoholic steato-hypatitis.
His words, “Death in this case was due to aspiration of gastric content, although the deceased had hypertensive heart disease which could have caused sudden death, but no evidence of such, either grossly or microscopically.
“It is known that excessive alcoholic intake may depress the central nervous system with the blunting of the gas influx.
“This may also induce vomiting. The deceased was deeply sedated and was given an overdose of analgesic, these drugs are known to cause central nervous system depression.”
The pathologist explained that Adeleke apparently “vomited” and “aspirated” due to the deep sedation, so that gastric contents blocked the airways, depriving his body of oxygen.
According to him, “This showed up in the body as stinge of colouration. This could cause vital seizure of the system.
“The toxicology report also showed abnormally high levels of alcohol, sedative and analgesic in the blood of the deceased.
“There were no traces of poising, or heavy metals in the toxicology report. Nigerian police did the toxicology examination and the result was given to me on May 15, 2017.”
Olufemi tendered a copy of the autopsy report and the court admitted it as exhibit EC3, even as he informed the coroner that the copy of the toxicology report was not released to him by the police, although he had an opportunity of reading same.
