Bullet Likely Cause of Joseph’s Death, Say Experts
Michael Uchebuaku
Daily Independent
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Lagos (Nigeria):
The heat still appears to be on the Nigeria police in the controversy surrounding the death of Charles Joseph, the Managing Director of Mobitel.
Recently, the police released a second report which the Inspector-General of Police, Sunday Ehindero had ordered after the first autopsy report ordered by the Lagos State Government returned a verdict of murder by bullet as the cause of his death. However, in a move that shocked many, the second autopsy report conducted by police-appointed pathologists strayed widely from the verdict of the first report.In the aftermath of the first report, the police in Abuja had declared the first pathologist, Prof. Oladapo Obafunwa wanted because they thought he had ran away.
But later, the pathologist, who had traveled out of the country on holiday, returned to on October 8, only to discover that he might not be safe again. Professor Obafunwa is a consultant Pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).However, the death threats faced by Obafunwa do not seem a surprise to many. Analysts say that since he had exposed what they believe to be the murder of Joseph by some rich and mighty people, the pathologist’s life may be certain to come under some form of threat.
Obafunwa had pointed out in his autopsy report that the late Joseph did not commit suicide as had been widely reported when his body was found to have fallen from the top floor housing his office. Obafunwa had insisted and still insists, that the Managing Director of Mobitel had been shot in the head and thus, murdered.On Thursday, September 15, 2005, the late Mobitel chief was widely reported to have jumped to death from his office in Lagos, which is located on one of the top floors of a high-rise building in Victoria Island.
However, the following day after he was said to have committed suicide, the family, speaking through the wife, had denied the statement that her late husband had killed himself.The great controversy that resulted in the widow’s announcement seemed to have provoked the Lagos State Government to commission an autopsy to ascertain the true cause of Joseph’s death. However, after the first autopsy report had been handed over to the police, there was some delay by the police authorities in making the report public.
And due to what appeared like hesitation on the part of the police to release the report, many suspected that the Nigeria Police might have been trying to cover up the murder. However, with mounting public pressure on the nation’s security agency, the police released the first autopsy report and seemed to agree with it until the Inspector-General of Police, Sunday Ehindero announced that the it would conduct its own autopsy.
However, the result of the police autopsy was that the late Joseph had died of ‘misadventure’. The police autopsy was a complete reversal of the first autopsy ordered by the Lagos State Government, and this is presently generating further controversy.
Oct. 22, 2005
Michael Uchebuaku
Daily Independent
______________
Lagos (Nigeria):
The heat still appears to be on the Nigeria police in the controversy surrounding the death of Charles Joseph, the Managing Director of Mobitel.
Recently, the police released a second report which the Inspector-General of Police, Sunday Ehindero had ordered after the first autopsy report ordered by the Lagos State Government returned a verdict of murder by bullet as the cause of his death. However, in a move that shocked many, the second autopsy report conducted by police-appointed pathologists strayed widely from the verdict of the first report.In the aftermath of the first report, the police in Abuja had declared the first pathologist, Prof. Oladapo Obafunwa wanted because they thought he had ran away.
But later, the pathologist, who had traveled out of the country on holiday, returned to on October 8, only to discover that he might not be safe again. Professor Obafunwa is a consultant Pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).However, the death threats faced by Obafunwa do not seem a surprise to many. Analysts say that since he had exposed what they believe to be the murder of Joseph by some rich and mighty people, the pathologist’s life may be certain to come under some form of threat.
Obafunwa had pointed out in his autopsy report that the late Joseph did not commit suicide as had been widely reported when his body was found to have fallen from the top floor housing his office. Obafunwa had insisted and still insists, that the Managing Director of Mobitel had been shot in the head and thus, murdered.On Thursday, September 15, 2005, the late Mobitel chief was widely reported to have jumped to death from his office in Lagos, which is located on one of the top floors of a high-rise building in Victoria Island.
However, the following day after he was said to have committed suicide, the family, speaking through the wife, had denied the statement that her late husband had killed himself.The great controversy that resulted in the widow’s announcement seemed to have provoked the Lagos State Government to commission an autopsy to ascertain the true cause of Joseph’s death. However, after the first autopsy report had been handed over to the police, there was some delay by the police authorities in making the report public.
And due to what appeared like hesitation on the part of the police to release the report, many suspected that the Nigeria Police might have been trying to cover up the murder. However, with mounting public pressure on the nation’s security agency, the police released the first autopsy report and seemed to agree with it until the Inspector-General of Police, Sunday Ehindero announced that the it would conduct its own autopsy.
However, the result of the police autopsy was that the late Joseph had died of ‘misadventure’. The police autopsy was a complete reversal of the first autopsy ordered by the Lagos State Government, and this is presently generating further controversy.
Oct. 22, 2005
