THE family of the late 21-year old student of the University of Ibadan, Richard Gbadebo, Alliance On Surviving COVID-19 And Beyond (ASCAB) as well as International Lawyers Assisting Workers (ILAW) Network, Nigeria Chapter, have queried the autopsy report prepared by the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, raising issues with some claims in the report.
Gbadebo, a 300 level student in the Department of European Studies, University of Ibadan, was killed in an industrial accident at Henkel Nigeria Limited, an Ibadan-based soap-making factory on the night of 27th July 2020.
In the query dated August 7, 2020, entitled: “Observations on the Postmortem Report Dated 04-08-2020 and Signed by Dr. C. A. Okolo, Consultant Pathologist: Re– Late Richard Gbadebo,” and addressed to the Chief Medical Director of UCH; human rights lawyers, Femi Aborisade, Managing Partner, Abope Chambers, on behalf of the family ASCAB and ILAW, said some of the claims in the autopsy report are inconsistent with facts available to the family.
According to Aborisade, his clients are raising questions with respect to some observations on the 4th paragraph of the “Post mortem Report, under the subsection entitled “Clinical Summary”.
The said 4th paragraph, Aborisade said, states that: “Following the discovery of his [Richard Gbadebo] body partially grinded in the machine, he was taken to Adeoyo hospital Ibadan where he was confirmed dead. The body was subsequently embalmed.”
Aborisade averred that the family is disputing the truth of this claim as the body was never taken to Adeoyo Hospital.
He stated: “According to the family of the Late Richard Gbadebo, it is false to say the body of Late Richard Gbadebo “was taken to Adeoyo hospital”.
“In truth, the body was never taken to Adeoyo Hospital at any point in time. Rather, the corpse of Richard Gbadebo was taken to a private hospital named Teju Hospital at Ring Road, Ibadan.
“Moreover, the embalmment of the corpse of Richard Gbadebo, which was done before the conduct of the post mortem examination was not with the consent of the family. [His emphasis]
“It is the brief of Our Clients that the corpse of Late Richard Gbadebo was removed from the premises of HENKEL NIGERIA LIMITED and EXPAND GLOBAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED on the 28th day of July 2020 around 12noon and taken to Teju Hospital, Ring Road, Ibadan, between the hours of 1-2pm on the same day, 28th day of July 2020.
“Though the agents of the companies initially resisted the desire of the father, Mr. Olusola Gbadebo to enter the ambulance and monitor where they were taking the corpse of his son, on the long run, they conceded he could enter the ambulance. The ambulance took the corpse of Richard to Teju Hospital.
“Also, family representatives were present when the body of Richard Gbadebo was removed from Teju Hospital on the 3rd of August 2020 at about 1.00pm for the post mortem examination at UCH. The body of Richard Gbadebo was also returned to Teju Hospital about 4.30pm on the same day, 3rd August 2020.”
On the basis of these clear discrepancies contained in the autopsy report, Aborisade stated that the family, ASCAB and ILAW have a number of questions which demand answers.
The questions, he said, include: “Why did the pathologist state that the body of Richard Gbadebo “was taken to Adeoyo hospital Ibadan where he was confirmed dead” and that the “the body was subsequently embalmed” at Adeoyo Hospital, without relying on any documentary evidence supporting such?
“Was the pathologist misled by any documentary evidence that the body of Richard Gbadebo was ever taken to Adeoyo Hospital?
“If the pathologist was misled by any documentary evidence suggesting that the body of Richard Gbadebo was ever taken to Adeoyo Hospital, who prepared and signed the documentary evidence at Adeoyo Hospital?
“If the pathologist was not misled, why did the post mortem report state falsehood on non-technical facts relating to location?
“If the pathologist was misled by the agents of HENKEL NIGERIA LIMITED and EXPAND GLOBAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED, what are they attempting to cover up?”
While calling for an “investigation of the causes of the lapses observed on the non-technical details contained in the post mortem report,” Aborisade also requested for the certified true copy (CTC) of the autopsy report dated 4th August 2020, stating that “We are ready and willing to pay for the prescribed fees for the CTC, once ready.”
Picture credit: https://campusnewsui.com/2020/07/29/richard-gbadebo-one-death-too-many/)
