The Coroner’s Inquest into the sudden death of the former Registrar of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo (UNIMED), Mr. Ezekiel Imoleayo Adeniran, on Friday heard gripping testimonies from his driver and two doctors who treated him before his death.
The late Registrar’s mysterious death has fueled controversy over whether he took his own life following an indictment in a white paper or was forced at gunpoint to ingest poison.
Driver Speaks: “He Said Gunmen Gave Him Poison”
The deceased’s driver, Mr. Olowoyo Odunayo Adewale, recounted how his boss collapsed suddenly at home.
According to him, “It was the neighbours of the deceased who helped carry him and dropped him beside the car. He said his matter was not convulsed but that he was given poison by some gunmen who invaded the house.”
Adewale confirmed that before the incident, his boss had been invited by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations of certificate forgery. He had been scheduled to report back to the police the day after the tragic incident.
First Doctor: “He Kept Saying He Was Forced to Drink Poison”
The first medical doctor to attend to the Registrar, Dr. Iyaomolere Fayowole, described his condition as critical and suggestive of poisoning.
“He was brought in around 2:30 pm and kept saying he was forced to take a substance at gunpoint. He did not identify those who forced him. His blood pressure was 200/120, with excessive salivation, abdominal pains and vomiting — all pointing to poisoning or substance abuse,” Fayowole told the coroner.
He added that, “There was no form of oral injury to suggest he was physically forced, and no law enforcement officer was present during treatment. They only came after he died.”
Second Doctor: “Everything Was Fine Until He Suddenly Collapsed”
A junior resident doctor, Dr. Adewale Abayomi, who took over the case around 5 pm, testified that the late Registrar was in and out of consciousness but regained strength in the evening.
“By 9:30 pm, he was awake and even communicated with his wife and relatives. I asked him how he felt and he said, I am better. He even walked to the toilet with assistance,” Abayomi recounted.
“But shortly after, he vomited and lay back. Everything seemed fine until I heard shouts of ‘doctor, doctor.’ I rushed back to find him jerking, with pulse and oxygen dropping. We resuscitated him for about 30 minutes, but the vitals eventually stopped.”
The doctor explained that symptoms — including salivation, abdominal pain and jerking before death — suggested a corrosive poison such as “sniper or another insecticide.” He, however, noted, “He didn’t personally tell me he was forced to take poison, but it was documented in his case notes.”
Coroner’s Position
Presiding over the inquest, Dr. Dickson Ogunfuyi, emphasized that the purpose of the hearing was not to put anyone on trial but to unravel the true circumstances surrounding the Registrar’s mysterious death.
He noted that conflicting reports — suicide or gunpoint poisoning — had left the matter clouded in controversy. The inquest, he stressed, would establish the facts.
The hearing continues on September 22.
