The two persons killed during the kidnap of the Oniba of Iba, Oba Goriola Oseni, died of bullet wounds, a Lagos High Court has been told.
A consultant pathologist, Dr. Sunday Soyemi, told Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo that autopsy comfirmed that the palace guard, Sunday Okanlawon and a motorcyclist, Joseph Okeke, were shot dead.
A statement by the Ministry of Justice said Soyemi spoke while being led in evidence by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem during the trial of Duba Furejo, Ododowo Isaiah Reuben Anthony and Yerin Fresh for the monarch’s kidnap.
Soyemi, a senior lecturer at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) said he performed the autopsy on the duo.
Soyemi said Okanlawo’s body was identified by his son, Seun, and the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Sergeant Ademo Rahim. Okeke’s body was identified by the IPO.
He said: “The essential findings on Okanlawon were a circular hole on the shoulder at the back, a structure on the bridge of the nose, and a structural defeat on the upper part of the head”.
The base of the skull, he said, showed fracture, adding that there was bleeding into the brain and extensive cerebral laceration.
The autopsy report, he said, attributed Okanlawon’s death to “severe cranial cerebral injury following a penetrative injury to the skull”.
Soyemi said Okeke’s autopsy report showed a destruction of the left femoral vessel.
“There was an entry and exit wound and this is usually caused by bullet wound’’, he added.
Soyemi said the wounds on both bodies were consistent with bullet wounds and gun shot.
He said after the post-mortem, death certificates were issued to the bereaved families.
Under cross examination by the defendants’ lawyer, Soyemi insisted that Okanlawon and Okeke died of bullet wounds.
Sergeant Rahim said during investigation he discovered that Okanlawon was shot in the head.
The defendants are standing trial on an eight-count charge of kidnapping the Iba monarch, conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, robbery, armed robbery and felony.
The charge alleged that Okanlawon and Okeke were murdered by the defendants during the kidnap.
Justice Taiwo adjourned the case to February 3, 10 and 14.