A lawyer identified only as Chidi, slumped and died at the Igbosere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos State following a case adjournment on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 by the Chief Magistrate, Mrs. F. M. Dalley.
The deceased had come late for the trial of his clients – Okedairo Okedeji, 38, and Akolade Agbola, 28 – who were arraigned on February 29, 2016 for allegedly stealing meat and snail worth N28,000 from Southern Sun Hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos State, Punch reports.
The deceased was said to have pleaded for a change of the adjournment date of April 14, 2016 having arrived the court later than scheduled due to serious gridlock.
A police prosecutor said, “While pleading with the magistrate for a change in the adjourned date because it was not convenient for him, he started coughing uncontrollably and gasping for breath.”
He subsequently screamed “‘Obim!’ ‘Obim!’ (My heart, my heart!) as he was rushed outside the courtroom.”
Another prosecutor added: “He was rushed downstairs by one of his clients, who tried to get a cab that would take him to a hospital. But he died before the cab arrived.”
His corpse was evacuated from the court premises and deposited at an undisclosed morgue in the state.
