Coroner’s inquest: Pistol with 13 live bullets found at Dapo Ojora’s death scene, says police

A police officer, Damian Oguinye, has confirmed that 13 live bullets were found at the death scene of late Lagos socialite and businessman, Dapo Ojora.

Oguinye made this known at an Ikeja coroner’s inquest looking into Ojora’s death on Tuesday.

The late businessman who was found dead in his room on December 11, 2021 from reported self-inflicted gunshot wounds, was the elder brother of the wife of former Senate President Toyin Saraki.

In his testimony before the coroner, Oguinye said policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of the Ikoyi police station, Mustapha Tijani, went to the scene immediately they got a distress call from one Adeyinka Ojora the night of the death.

He added that on getting to the scene, the policemen saw a pistol on the chest of the deceased loaded with 13 rounds of live ammunition.

“A Beretta Pistol was found laying on the upper chest of the deceased, and when a search was made, an empty shell was discovered in an indoor waste basket,” Oguinye said.

“While the team saw only one shell in the waste basket, it later came and saw two other empty shells in the premises. The deceased was lying down facing upwards. The bullet had hit the wall.”

On the steps taken by the police, Oguinye added that after confirming that there was no break-in, they cordoned the scene until the deputy commissioner of police in charge of State Criminal Investigation Department SCID, Panti, and the Lagos state commissioner of police arrived.

“A team of forensic experts from SCID Panti, came. CSP Razak Useni led the team. The domestic staff, Nkiru Joseph, was called upon by CSP Razak, she was the one who told us where the other guns were kept and we found where they were kept,” he added.

“Joseph told us that she had just served the deceased food that evening around 6 p.m.”