The Coroner’s Inquest sitting at the Osun State High Court today received the chilling testimony of one Alfred Aderibigbe, a self-professed nurse who injected late Senator Isiaka Adeleke with banned drugs shortly before his demise.
When the court resumed at 9am in the morning to hear is testimony, the court registrar read a letter from his lawyer, Mr. Lekan Alabi stating that he was unavailable as he was appearing before another judge at the state high court three. The coroner subsequently adjourned till 12 noon.
At exactly 12noon, the coroner entered the court room to an anxious crowd. He immediately called on the witness to take the witness stand. Alfred who wore a better composure compared to yesterday, began by describing his relationship with the late senator who he described as very cordial.
Alfred who spoke in Yoruba through the help of an interpreter when asked how he met the late senator, stated that; “late Sen. Adeleke was like a father to me, a helper; we were like father and son.”
“I met Sen. Adeleke, then a former governor, after I treated one of his daughter for convulsion many years back, our relationship blossomed thereafter.”
Recalling how the Senator died, Mr. Aderibigbe who has been treating the former Osun governor for over 20 years, reveals he was summoned in the middle of the night on Sunday 23rd April 2017 around 4.33am to come attend to the senator. On getting to his bedroom, Alfred revealed the Senator complained of severe pains in his legs and requested for some drugs to be administered on him in the presence of his friend, one Dipo Fagborode.
Aderibigbe recalled that he left his home with four (4) ampoules of Diazepam (valium) 20ml each, two (2) ampoules of Analgin 50ml each, two (2) ampoules of Hydrocortisone 100ml eachs , one ampoule of Pentazocine, and two vials of Gentamicin 80ml each, but did not administer all the drugs on the late senator.
The nurse informed the coroner that it was his practice to administer prescribed drugs to the senator, even though he prefers overdose. He said, “I only administered only 20ml of diazapram, 50ml of analgin and 200ml hydrocortisone, even though he wanted more. I also administered the Gentamicin on his friend, Dipo Fagborode without a prescription.”
“I opened all the ampoules of drugs in his (Sen. Adeleke) presence, but I did not administer it on him. The essence is so that when he wakes up, he would think I used everything. I only used one ampoule of diazepram. It is my practice to kick the remaining away with my leg.”
When asked if he knew that Analgin was banned by the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, over ten years ago, Mr. Aderibigbe said he was aware, but it is his usual practice to make use of the drug on insistence of the senator who he described as ‘powerful’.
“I don’t buy the drugs myself; the senator buys them and keeps with me. Anytime he needs them, he beckons on me. The drugs I used on the 23rd April 2017, was handed to me by Senator Adeleke on 17th of April, 2017.
“Whenever he was given prescription and he probably didn’t complete his treatment in Abuja, I would administer the remaining.
“He had other nurses in Abuja, and some in Lagos.
“I’m his nurse in Ede. I don’t know any of them (other nurses), but I know that whenever he was given injection by those nurses, he would show me in order to know the new area to inject him.”
Aderibigbe though stated that he knew alcohol exacerbate Gout, a condition he knew senator Adeleke was battling with, he stated that the senator rebuffed his advice to stop drinking and opted for treatment with the sedatives, steroids and analgesic.
He revealed the Senator’s choice of drink was Remy Martins, a position which corroborated the testimony of a party chieftain who had received the late senator at his daughter’s wedding the previous day.
Engr. Olasunkanmi Olaniyi whilst testifying earlier in the day had said the late senator did not eat at his party, but he noticed one of Adeleke’s aide served his boss with a bottle of Remy Martins and glass cup.
Continuing his testimony, Aderibigbe said he couldn’t perceive if the late Senator was smelling of Alcohol, but agreed that it was improper to take sedatives, steroids and analgesic after the consumption of Alcohol.
Recall the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital pathologist who carried out an autopsy on Senator Adeleke revealed his corpse was oozing of alcohol during his testimony yesterday.
Aderibigbe however stated that he left the Senator around 8am to go take a leave of absence from his church where he teaches a Sunday School every Sunday morning.
“On getting back around 9am, Dipo Fagborode told me the senator beckoned on him, with a weak hand, so he asked me to quickly attend to him.
“On getting into his room, he had little life left in him. His pulse was weak and his breathing was almost shutting down. I had to perform a cardiac massage on him. I beckoned on Dipo to assist me and we both continued the cardiac massage, and when he wasn’t responding, I shouted for help, and that was when he was taken to Biket Hospital in Osogbo.
“I didn’t follow in the Senator’s Cardillac vehicle, but I know before getting to Biket Hospital in Osogbo, he would have died.
“At Biket Hospital, Senator Adeleke was pronounced brought in dead.” Aderibigbe revealed.
The coroner has since issued a summon for Dipo Fagborode to appear before him and thereafter adjourned sitting till Friday, 18th May, 2017.
