Court remand nurse who treated Late Senator Adeleke in prison

AN Osun State High court, sitting in Ede, on Friday ordered that a nurse, identified as Alfred Aderibigbe, who treated Late Senator Isiaka Adeleke shortly before he died on the 23rd of April, 2017 be remanded in prison custody.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the information officer in the Osun State Ministry of Justice, Mr Opeyemi Bello, which was made available to the TribuneOnline in Osogbo on Sunday.

It is recalled that Aderibigbe was indicted last year by a coroner inquest constituted by Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration to investigate the circumstances and cause of the death Adeleke, who until his demise represented Osun West Senatorial District in the National Assembly.

The coroner headed by Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara had found the nurse culpable for allegedly administering an overdose of analgesic tablets and intravenous injections on the late Senator.

Ayilara had at the conclusion of the inquest recommended Aderibigbe for prosecution having established that he administered drug overdose on the senator, thus culminating in his death. During his cross-examination, he had argued that the drugs administered on Adeleke were given to him by the deceased.

Testifying before the coroner, the consultant pathologist, who carried out an autopsy on Adeleke said his death was as a result drug overdose.

However, according to the statement, the accused nurse, on Friday pleaded not guilty to one count of murder preferred against him, just as his defence counsel, Barrister Soji Oyetayo informed the court of a bail application already filed before the court on behalf of his client.

But, the acting Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr Dapo Adeniji opposed the bail application, describing it as premature, stressing that the accused was not in custody when the application was filed.

Presiding Justice Ayo Adebiyi ordered that the accused nurse should be remanded at Ilesa prison till 29th June when the case would come up for hearing.