The Coroner’s Inquest investigating the circumstances leading to the death of former Registrar of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo (UNIMED), Mr Ezekiel Imoleayo Adeniran, has vowed to unravel whether the late officer committed suicide or was forced to drink poison at gunpoint.
The coroner’s inquest came amid growing controversy over claims that Mr Adeniran took his own life by purchasing and drinking poison following a white paper that indicted him and recommended his dismissal.
However, his family insisted he was forced to drink the poison by unknown assailants. The family also alleged that some officials of the university were behind the mysterious death.
The court presided by Dr Dickson Ogunfuyi said there were conflicting reports that the late Registrar committed suicide by drinking poison to conceal atrocities levelled against him or that some gunmen invaded his house and forced him to drink poison.
The driver of the deceased Registrar, Mr Olowoyo Odunayo Adewale, told the coroner inquest that his late boss was invited by
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police is investigating an allegation of certificate forgery.
Adewale said he and one of his friends, known as Taiwo, stood as sureties for the deceased Registrar when he was invited for interrogation over an allegation of certificate forgery by the CID.
According to him, “On Thursday preceding his death, he went to the police CID. He was asked to come back on Monday. That he would be called on the day.
“We waited, but he was not called. It was when we were going back to Ondo on Monday that the Police called him to report on Tuesday. However, the next Tuesday was a public holiday. We were to go to the CID on Wednesday when the incident happened.”
Narrating the incident that happened on the day of the death, Adewale said, “I took his wife to work and his children to school. I used to stay with him when he was in Akure.
“After I returned, I was in the waiting room expecting his call. He came out of the room. I was in the room when his friend, known as Taye, called and asked after him.
“He said I should give him my phone so that he could speak with me, but I declined because I did not enter his room. I called him, but he did not answer. Mr Taye said I should not end the call and that I should check the surroundings. It was there that I saw him on the floor.”
Adewale said it was the neighbours of the deceased who helped carry him and dropped him beside the car. He said that when they wanted to pour water on him, he said his matter was not convulsed by that he was given poison by some gunmen who invaded the house.
Similarly, the medical doctor who received the body of the deceased when he was brought to the police clinic, Dr Iyaomolere Fayowole, told the coroner’s inquest that the late Registrar said he was forced to take a substance at gunpoint.
Dr Fayowole said the patient was not fully conscious when he was brought to the hospital. He said the deceased did not regain consciousness until he handed him over. He, however, said the late Registrar, in his subconscious state, had taken poison at gunpoint.
He said, “What he kept saying in his subconscious state was that he was forced to drink a substance at gunpoint. He did not identify those who held him and forced him to take the poison.”
Dr Fayowole said he was later informed that the patient, who later died, regained his consciousness and communicated with his family. Also, he said there was no sign of bruises to show signs of a struggle between his suspected assailants and the deceased.
The medical doctor said the blood pressure of the late Registrar was high at 200/120, and there was excessive salivation, abdominal pain, and vomiting. These signs, he added, were suggestive of poison or abuse of another substance.
The Coroner’s Inquest fixed September 22 for the continuation of the hearing of the mysterious death of the late Registrar
