Timothy Adegoke died from severe trauma injury, says Pathologist

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

One of the medical experts who conducted autopsy on the body of Timothy Adegoke, the MBA student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Dr. Waheed Oluogun has told the Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo that the deceased was found in a wrapped blood stained duvet on a dump site along Ile-Ife/Ede road near the university.

Oluogun, a pathologist with the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo stated this when he was called to the witness box at the resumed hearing of the case on Wednesday.

He told the court that one Inspector Afeez Olaniyan, the police prosecutor called him for the exhumation of Timothy’s body whom after the exercise was identified by his elder brother, Olugbade Adegoke.

He said the corpse was found tied with two different ropes, one around the neck and the other around the ankles with maggots on the left side of the head.

The pathologist said: “I received a phone call from one Inspector Afeez Olaniyan at about 2:15pm to come for examination of a dead body at Ile-Ife. When I got there, I met about three to four police officers at the site, a few members of the family joined us and also a Deputy Commissioner of Police.

“At the site we found a dead buried body along Ile-Ife/Ede road about 1.4km from OAU campus gate. While examining the body it was found to be completely wrapped in a blood stained duvet without exposing any part. The body was found facing up with two different ropes, one around the neck, the other around the ankles. Maggots were found around the left side of the head up to the entire left upper limb.”

Oluogun further said that seven pathologists, including Prof. E. A Afolayan, Prof. J. Obafunwa, Prof. O. S. Ojo, Dr. A. O. Komolafe, Dr. H. A. Akinyemi and himself conducted the autopsy investigation.

He informed the court that the X-ray investigation that was done revealed fracture of the right thigh bone while from the external examination there a clean cut wound on the left side of the chest.

He added that the internal examination showed decomposed organs with striking generalised pallor and also blood clot in the right chest cavity.

He added: “The body was taken to UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo. The body was identified by the elder brother of the deceased, Olugbade Adegoke.

“At our teaching hospital, we planned for the post mortem to ascertain the cause of death on the 22 November, 2021. Seven pathologists came for the post mortem examination. We had a pre autopsy conference meeting before the commencement of the autopsy which started at 2:25pm.

“The X-ray of the whole body was done which revealed fracture of the femoral bone (right thigh bone). The summary of the X-ray report – on external examination we received an adult negro (black man) measuring 179cm in length. There was a circumscribed around a clean cut wound on the left (lateral) side of the left chest wall measuring 6×4cm close to the left armpit. The soft tissue around that area showed marked tissue reaction measuring 32×13cm.

“On the internal examination, there was generalised autolysis of internal organ with striking generalised pallor. There was hematoma/blood clot in the right chest cavity. There was fracture on the left hyoid bone of the neck with fracture of the right cricoid cartilage. There was no superficial neck marking. There was no tissue obvious reaction or bleeding to the neck.”

The pathologist also told the court that the internal organs, which include, the brain, heart, liver, kidney and the lungs were present in their normal anatomical positions with varying degrees of decomposition.

“Tissues were taken from the wound for microscopic examination. We compare it with the normal chest wall. The result came out that there was bleeding into the wound area with autolysis.

“In my opinion, I certified the cause of death to be severe hemorrhage secondary to severe traumatic injury,” he concluded.

While all the defence counsels reserved all their objections of the exhibit admitted into evidence by the court till the final address stage, in line with the directive of the court, they all subjected the witness to cross examinations on the exhibit.

The presiding judge, who is also the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Adepele Ojo adjourned the matter till tomorrow Thursday, March 17, 2021 for continuation of hearing.