Lawyer Slumps, Dies In Court After Arriving Late For Trial Of His Clients & Case Was Adjourned

There was commotion yesterday at the Igbosere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos, after a lawyer, identified only as Chidi, slumped and died on the court premises while pleading for a case he was

handling.According to Punch, Chidi had come late for the trial of his clients – Okedairo Okedeji, 38, and Akolade Agbola, 28 – who were arraigned on February 29 for allegedly stealing meat and snail
worth N28,000 from Southern Sun Hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos.He appeared before the magistrate, Mrs.  F. M. Dalley, after the case had been adjourned till. April 14, and was apologising to the court that he was held in traffic. “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,” a police prosecutor at the court told Punch.He added that the lawyer shouted ‘Obim!’ ‘Obim!’  (My chest, my chest!) as he was rushed outside the courtroom.“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,” another prosecutor said.It was learnt that his corpse had been deposited at a morgue.