- Reveals How The Deceased Used To Consume All Sorts Of Alcoholic Drinks, Smoke
The Chief Nursing Officer, who was said to have given late Senator Isiaka Adeleke overdose of drugs which led to his death, Mr. Alfred Aderibigbe, has denied the allegation, saying the only gave prescribed dosage to the late politician.
The nurse who appeared before the coroner set up by the state government to probe Adeleke’s death on Thursday denied administering all the empty ampules of injections found in his room 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, admitted treating the late senator for gout arthritis, after being called to his Ede country home at around past 4 a.m on the day of his death.
His words, “On April 23, I was sleeping inside my house. At around past 4 a.m, I heard some people banging my gate, shouting. I opened the wicket and saw his campaign vehicle and those inside said 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.
“He said he was weak. He asked if I brought intravenous fluid apart from the injection. I went and brought it. I saw some oral drugs which I think he had taken. He started calling the drugs one by one and Dipo was there. He said he knew all his drugs offhand. He brought out a prescription.
“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 dosages 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 and left at 7:50, I normally stay until he wakes up on such occasions, but I had to go and take permission from 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.
“But I believed he would have died before reaching the hospital because I was not there to maintain the cardiac massage.
“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.
“After that, people started trooping in, Sister Dupe Sanni came and started shouting. I was troubled, agitated and restless at this time. Later his corpse was taken to LAUTECH Teaching Hospital for Autopsy and I was there too. It was from there I was taken to Dugbe Police Station where I spent almost six days before getting bail.
“But the bail is not even real as I still stay in the station from morning till evening. I only go home at night. The gate of my house has been locked since then.
During cross examination, Aderibigbe was asked if he knew keeping drugs for patients and acting on their prescription was unethical to which he answered in affirmation but explained that under the circumstance and with the late Senator, there was nothing he could do.
“I know alcohol causes gout and that is why I advised the late Senator against it. Initially the deceased takes all kinds of drinks but then reduced it to St. Remy. He used to smoke before I advised him against it too.
Asked if he knew that according to the toxicology report, the late Senator died of high level of alcohol, sedatives and analgesic, Aderibigbe said he didn’t know.
“I know Diazepam doesn’t go well with alcohol but I didn’t perceive any alcoholic odour around the deceased before treating him.
Asked if he killed the late Senator Isiaka adeleke, Aderibigbe shouted “NO” repeatedly.
The coroner, Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara adjourned its sitting till May 19, 2017 for further inquiry.
Packaged by Bunmi Oladejo
