PREMILINARY investigations into the death of Adebola Akin-Bright, a 12-year-old boy with missing intestines who died at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), began today before the coroner, Magistrate Bola Folarin-Williams, sitting at Magistrate Court 4, Botanical Gardens, Ebute-Metta, Lagos.
During the proceedings, counsel for the Lagos State Government, Ola Akinde, informed the court that essential tests and examinations on the corpse had been completed and that a post-mortem report was available.
He further stated that the State Attorney General’s office is aware of letters from solicitors to the deceased’s father requesting that the corpse be preserved, while the mother requests that the corpse be released to her for burial.
He stated that the state is not opposed to any of the demands, but that the choice on what to do would be left to the court.
The Coroner in her statement stated that she received word that the autopsy report was completed and will be delivered to the court shortly.
She also stated that the deceased’s father and mother may be required to file separate applications on what to do with the corpse in order for the court to rule on it.
Ebun Adegboruwa, SAN, counsel for the complainant, then requested that the report be made available to all parties in the case.
Adegboruwa further remarked that because the deceased died at LASUTH, an independent examination of the corpse by professionals such as the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) may be preferable to minimize bias and conflict of interest.
The senior lawyer further informed the Coroner that he learned this morning that Femi Falana (SAN) is the main counsel for the deceased’s mother and that he would be liaising with them to reconcile the parents’ points of view.
Meanwhile, he urged the court to keep the body because the Coroner had already taken jurisdiction.
Akinde has notified the Coroner that the state is willing to cooperate and support the parties by providing all witnesses and documents, including all doctors and medical professionals who attended to the dead at LASUTH.
After hearing all of the arguments, the Coroner requested that the parties meet to discuss their points of view and submit a list of witnesses to be called before the next date. She ordered that the autopsy report and other necessary documentation be made available to the parties’ counsel.
The case has been adjourned till November 24 for further proceedings.
