CORONER INQUEST INTO CASE OF ADEBOLA AKIN-BRIGHT BEGINS
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The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Master Adebola Akin-Bright, the child who passed away at LASUTH due to an intestinal stent, began today. His Honour, Mrs. Bola Folarin-Williams, District Coroner, presides over the Coroner Court, which meets in Magistrate Court 4, Botanical Gardens, Ebute-Metta.
The complainant in today’s proceedings was Mr. Olumuyiwa Akin-Bright, the deceased’s father, represented by Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, who also led Mr. Aramide Adeogun and Mr. Ezekiel Nnadi.
The Lagos State Government was represented as an interested party by Mr. O.A. Akinde, state counsel from the Ministry of Justice, while Mrs. Abiodun Kolawole represented the African Women Lawyers Association.
Upon calling the case, Mr. Akinde told the judge that the body had undergone the required tests and examinations, resulting in a post-mortem report. The Attorney General’s office has received letters from the deceased’s father asking to keep the body intact, while the mother wants the body released so she can bury it. Regardless of what the court decides, the state is not opposed to any of the demands.
In order to have a proper understanding of what actually happened to the deceased, Mr. Adegboruwa told the Coroner that the complainant would love to call the medical director of Hobitox Medical Centre, where the deceased was first admitted and treated, the doctors who treated the deceased in LASUTH, and all policemen involved in the investigation.
At this time, the coroner reported that she had learned that the autopsy report was completed and would shortly be delivered to the court. Mr. Adegboruwa then requested that the report be made available to all parties involved in the case.
The coroner added that in order for the court to make a decision, the deceased’s mother and father might need to submit their individual applications for what to do with the body.
However, Mr. Adegboruwa said that given the decline in deaths at LASUTH, it could be preferable to have the corpse independently examined by professionals like the Nigerian Medical Association in order to reduce the possibility of prejudice and conflict of interest.
Mr. Adegboruwa also told the coroner that he found out this morning, right before the court session, that Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, is the mother of the dead person’s lead attorney. In order to reconcile the opinions of his mother and father, he would rather communicate with Mr. Falana, SAN. However, since the coroner has already taken up the case, it is wise to preserve the corpse in the interim.
Mr. Akinde notified the coroner that all witnesses and records, including those of all the physicians and medical staff who treated the dead at LASUTH, would be made available by the state in order to cooperate and support the parties.
The coroner said that the purpose of today’s first sitting is for preliminary procedures to define the agenda for the inquiry after hearing from all parties involved. Before the next date, she urged the parties to get together to work out their differences and turn in the list of witnesses who would like to testify. She gave the order to provide the parties’ solicitors with access to the autopsy report and any relevant paperwork.
The case was postponed until November 24, 2023, in order to allow for more proceedings.
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