UNIMED Registrar’s Death Ruled Natural: Inside the Coroner’s 7-Hour Inquest That Settled a Statewide Controversy
By Exponent News Akure, Nigeria — December 14, 2025
The mystery surrounding the sudden death of Mr. Imole Ayo Adeniran, the Registrar of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) Akure, has finally been resolved. After weeks of speculation, allegations, and emotional public debate, an Ondo State Coroner Court has ruled that the administrator died a natural death, not from poison or foul play as previously feared.
The judgement, delivered by Coroner Dr. Dickson Ogunfuyi, followed a detailed inquest featuring medical experts, investigators, family members, and university officials. The inquiry stretched across multiple sessions, carefully piecing together the last hours of the registrar’s life.
This feature examines the findings, the testimonies, the controversies that fueled public suspicion, and the final conclusion that has now brought clarity—if not closure—to the matter.
A Sudden Collapse and a Wave of Questions
On July 16, 2025, Mr. Adeniran was found collapsed in the backyard of his residence in Akure. Moments later, he muttered that he had been “given poison to drink,” according to early witness accounts. The statement, brief yet alarming, triggered frantic calls, videos circulated online, and a torrent of public concern.
By that evening, he had been rushed to the Police Clinic in Akure, where he received emergency treatment. Though he regained consciousness for a short period and interacted calmly with his family, he later suffered another bout of vomiting and a sudden cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead close to midnight.
Within hours, allegations emerged from segments of the deceased’s family suggesting that he might have been forced to ingest something harmful. A voice note he had sent shortly before collapsing—where he expressed fear—further inflamed suspicion.
Public speculation intensified, prompting the formal request for a coroner’s inquest.
A Coroner’s Court Steeped in Public Interest
Dr. Ogunfuyi opened the inquest by outlining its mandate: a strict fact-finding mission under the Ondo State Coroner’s Law, aimed at answering four critical questions:
Who died?
When and where did he die?
What caused the death?
Were any persons or systems responsible?
Notably, the coroner stressed the court’s limited jurisdiction: it was not to apportion criminal guilt but to establish facts with clinical clarity.
The hearing featured dozens of testimonies—medical, forensic, institutional, and personal. Among the key voices were attending doctors at the Police Clinic, the deceased’s driver, several family members, investigators, and the consultant pathologist Dr. Pelemo, whose findings proved pivotal.
Medical Evidence: Symptoms Pointed to Poisoning—But Science Did Not
Upon arrival at the Police Clinic, the registrar was in a state of reduced consciousness, sweating profusely, salivating, vomiting, and experiencing severe abdominal discomfort. His blood pressure was dangerously high at 200/120, a reading that usually triggers immediate concern for hypertensive crises.
Doctor testimony revealed that the patient intermittently muttered about being forced to drink poison. However, crucially:
*There were no chemical odours on his breath.
*There were no injection marks, bruises, or signs of a struggle.
*There were no burns in the mouth or throat, which are typical of corrosive poisoning.
Medical teams administered wide-spectrum emergency treatments, including activated charcoal, antifluid therapy, and oxygen support. He partially responded—regaining consciousness later that night and speaking coherently with his relatives.
During this sober period, he made no mention of poison or force.
It was after this temporary recovery that he collapsed again, this time fatally.
Driver’s Testimony: No Evidence Anyone Entered the House
The deceased’s driver, who was present at the residence that day, gave a detailed timeline. He said he had been resting in a nearby waiting room when he received a call instructing him to hand over a phone to the registrar. After knocking at the door without response, he searched outside and discovered the registrar lying on the ground.
He testified that:
* He heard no struggle, movement, or disturbance.
* No outsiders entered the compound.
* No cups, bottles, or suspicious containers were found near the body.
The registrar’s statement about “poison” was not accompanied by any mention of force, weapons, or persons.
His account would later align with police findings.
Family’s Concerns: The Insecticide Smell and Strange Activity at Home
The deceased’s wife testified that she noticed the odour of what smelled like insecticide in the vomit he expelled into a nylon bag while at the hospital. She also reported unusual activity around the house earlier that day—cut branches and unripe fruits placed oddly in the compound.
She confirmed that an old container of insecticide had been stored in their home for a long period. Police later retrieved the container.
However, the coroner stressed that this merely proved the presence of an insecticide in the home, not ingestion.
Police Investigation: No Sign of Violence, Entry, or Poisoning
Investigators reported:
*No evidence of forced entry, footprints, or disturbances at the property.
*No signs of violence on the body.
*No lethal substances found in the compound aside from an old insecticide container.
The deceased’s phone contained voice notes from earlier in the day expressing fear—but none stating a specific threat, name, or event.
Autopsy and toxicology were ordered immediately.
The Pathologist’s Findings: The Turning Point
The most decisive evidence came from Dr. Pelemo, the consultant pathologist. His autopsy and toxicology examinations found:
*No trace of toxic substances, including organophosphates (the most common poisoning agents in Nigeria).
*No corrosive damage to the digestive tract.
*No abnormalities consistent with forced ingestion.
*No trauma to the body.
Instead, the autopsy revealed a natural medical crisis, most likely tied to hypertensive complications, which can trigger vomiting, confusion, fainting spells, and sudden collapse—symptoms that closely mimic poisoning.
This scientific clarity dismantled the earlier hypothesis of poisoning.
A Web of Institutional Tensions—But No Link to Death
Some testimonies touched on internal administrative disputes at UNIMED, including allegations of certificate irregularities, petitions, and disagreements involving university management.
The coroner acknowledged these tensions but emphasized that none had any causal link to the registrar’s death.
They served as background, not evidence.
The Coroner’s Verdict
After reviewing more than seven hours of testimony and a stack of forensic documents, Coroner Dr. Dickson Ogunfuyi delivered his judgement:
1. Mr. Imole Ayo Adeniran died of natural causes.
2. No poisoning occurred.
3. There was no force, coercion, or assault.
4. No toxic substance was present in his system.
5. No third party was involved.
The coroner noted that the initial symptoms mimicked poisoning but were medically explainable by the underlying condition identified during the post-mortem.
He recommended improvements in crisis response, early medical testing, and clearer institutional communication to avoid similar public confusion in the future.
Public Reaction: Relief, Grief, and Lingering Emotion
The ruling has drawn mixed reactions across Ondo State. Some expressed relief at the clarity offered by scientific investigation. Others, still grieving, say they wish the deceased had lived long enough to explain the fear he voiced in his final hours.
But the coroner’s conclusion is unequivocal:
There was no poison. No foul play. No homicide.
A Life Ended Suddenly, A Question Finally Answered
Mr. Imole Ayo Adeniran, a university registrar, husband, colleague, and friend to many, died from a natural medical condition that struck swiftly and fatally. The rumours, fear, and emotional distress that followed have now been dispelled by the combined weight of medical science, investigative diligence, and judicial clarity.
For the family, the institution, and the public, the inquest may not erase the pain of loss—but it has provided the truth.
