Autopsy suggests Senator Adeleke had 'drug overdose'

The autopsy done on the remains of Isiaka Adeleke, the Osun West Senator who died on Sunday in Osogbo is suggesting that the late lawmaker had an overdose of painkillers in his system, family and medical sources have told PREMIUM TIMES.

The sources said a medical examination of the tissues taken from the Senator’s body indicated he was injected with an overdose of painkillers.

“We learnt he was injected by one of his personal physicians said to have administered similar drugs on him in the past to suppress nagging pains in one of his legs,” one source said.

Another source claimed the man who administered the drug on the former governor was not a qualified doctor, and had since been arrested. But PREMIUM TIMES is unable to independently verify that as at the time of publishing this report.

Mr. Adeleke died early Sunday at Biket Hospital in Osogbo but was not buried same day as scheduled after his younger brother, Deji, ordered an autopsy to be done at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital (LAUTH) to ascertain the cause of death.

The preliminary result of the autopsy has since been made available to the family. It has however not been made public.

The pathology who conducted the autopsy, a Dr. Solaja, declined to speak to PREMIUM TIMES. He immediately terminated the telephone call made to him after our reporter identified herself.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Akeem Lasisi, could not be reached for comments. His known telephone number was switched off the several times our reporter called.

An official of the hospital, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to discuss the matter with the media, said, “There will still be more examination on the tissue sample collected so as to ascertain the exact cause of death as people have been speculating poison.”