Dr Rasheed Olaniyi, a bosom friend of over four decades to the late Kunle Akinyele, who slumped and died during his wife’s 60th birthday celebration, tells The PUNCH’s GRACE EDEMA how he could have saved him, among other related issues
You were a friend to Otunba Kunle Akinyele. Could you narrate what happened during his wife’s birthday?
Yes, we were in church to celebrate his wife’s 60th birthday when he suddenly slumped. I’m a medical doctor, so I immediately attempted CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation or mouth-to-mouth resuscitation).
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Unfortunately, the situation was a bit chaotic; he was rushed away before I could properly administer it. We quickly moved him to a hospital, and when we got there, I joined the medical team to continue CPR. But sadly, it was too late. That’s how we lost him.
Who prevented you from performing CPR on him (Akinyele)?
There were several people around. None of them were medical professionals. They kept shouting, ‘Don’t injure him! Don’t injure him!’ But I kept explaining that CPR sometimes involves breaking the ribs—if that’s what it takes to bring someone back, then we do it. The ribs can heal later. They saw my efforts as harmful rather than life-saving, and they physically pushed me away. It was frustrating.
Since they weren’t medically trained, shouldn’t someone knowledgeable have been allowed to take control?
Exactly! That was the mistake we made. If I had been allowed to do proper CPR right there inside the church, maybe we would’ve had a different outcome. God knows. I was right there the moment it happened.
Were you on the altar with him?
I entered the church at the same time as he did.
I thought you were on the altar with them?
No, I wasn’t on the altar. There were already many people there—everyone couldn’t possibly be on the altar. I was seated. But when it happened, I stood up immediately and went straight to the altar to join the others where he had slumped.
Don’t you think the crowd’s reaction was because they didn’t know you are a doctor?
Mr Akinyele and I belonged to the same club. There were at least two people shouting, ‘Let him attend to him; he’s a medical doctor! Let him attend to him!’ But those two young men—I call them boys because they’re quite young, around 28, 30, or maybe even in their 20s—they kept interfering.
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At the hospital, I told them, ‘Look, the doctor here said CPR should have been done immediately at the scene. I tried, but you were pushing me, telling me not to injure him.’ They didn’t understand that proper CPR could involve breaking a rib—it’s about saving a life. It’s really very sad. His wife can’t even speak on the matter right now; she’s too heartbroken. But I know everything. I have his full medical history.
He wasn’t an asthmatic patient and never had any issues with asthma. He was only slightly hypertensive. That day, the stress of preparing for the party might have been too much. One of his drivers saw him in the car and said he looked cold and uncomfortable. The driver even brought water for him, poured it on his head, and washed his feet.
If I had seen him at that point, I would never have let him return to the church. I would have taken him straight to a hospital. But that’s it. Everything I’m telling you is the truth. He was my friend for over 40 years, more than 40 years. That’s a very long time.
You said it might have been due to the stress of the preparation. But some people are suggesting maybe it was the heat from the agbada, the clothes he wore on that fateful day?
That could have been a contributing factor. Perhaps that’s why he stepped out and sat in the car, turned on the AC, and was making calls. I don’t know whether he was calling guests already in the church or those heading to the reception.
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But someone told me they saw him in the car. In fact, one of his drivers said he saw Oga (the boss) in the car making a call and looking uncomfortable. He said he got water for him, washed his legs and poured the remaining water on his head before going back into the church.
So, I don’t think the agbada was the issue. He had worn agbada many times before. I believe it had more to do with the stress of planning the celebration. Perhaps he hadn’t been monitoring his blood pressure or taking his medication regularly before the incident.
You said he was hypertensive, can you speak more on that?
Yes, he was hypertensive, but not severely so. I’m a doctor and also very close to the family. He would speak to me almost every other day. I would often call him and say, ‘Kunle, how are you? How’s your health? Have you checked your BP today?’
If he called me with any health complaints, my first question was always, ‘Have you checked your blood pressure today?’ Sometimes it was fine. So, it wasn’t a severe case; it would come and go. It was manageable, not chronic.
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Maybe, unfortunately, it happened to spike at that particular moment, and he didn’t check it that morning. I strongly believe that if he had checked it earlier that day, it would have been high.
As his close friend, we discussed everything—his father, his mother, even his siblings. I knew them all. He never had any major health scare.
The most common complaint was malaria. There was a time, about three or four years ago, when he mentioned something about mild cardiomyopathy. I referred him to a cardiologist friend of mine. I’m a gynaecologist by specialty, but I know enough to make informed referrals.
My colleague examined him and reassured us that it was nothing serious. He prescribed some medication, and I reviewed the results myself—it wasn’t life-threatening. Cardiomyopathy can be a complication of hypertension, but in his case, it wasn’t severe. I told him not to worry and just continue living his life.
Why do people slump like that? What are the main causes?
The most common cause of someone slumping and dying suddenly is a heart attack—what we call cardiopulmonary failure—usually triggered by severe hypertension. The hypertension might be severe or even mild, but once it reaches a critical point, it can cause the heart to fail. That’s the most frequent cause of such sudden collapse.
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Some might suggest other reasons, maybe an external attack or something sinister, but that’s extremely rare. Nine out of ten times, it’s hypertensive-related heart failure. Cardiopulmonary failure is often the secondary effect of unmanaged or unnoticed high blood pressure.
How would you describe your friend of over 40 years?
We did our NYSC together. He was a very close friend—really more than a friend. Kunle was full of life, a very social man; kind, generous, and always cheerful. I’ve been crying since it happened. Just recently, I managed to find some peace by reminding myself: ‘You’re still here, look after yourself.’ We were that close.
If he hadn’t heard from me in a while, he would call and say, ‘Olaniyi doctor, how far? I love you, doctor.’ That was how he spoke to me. Or he would say, ‘Come and meet me at the hotel on your way from work, let’s talk.’
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We would sit, gist, and laugh. He was just a genuinely lovely person, a wonderful human being. He cared deeply about others—his drivers, his staff. He went out of his way to support them. Anyone who worked with him had his backing. He impacted many lives. He was that kind of man—very, very special.
Tell us about his background. People said he was a Customs officer. How true is this?
Yes, he was a Customs officer. He retired in 2023 as a Deputy Controller of Customs. He served in several commands, and his final posting was in Maiduguri.
After his retirement, he returned to Lagos to pursue other business interests. But his entire career was in the Customs service. He was never a businessman until after retirement. He retired in 2023, and it’s not even up to two years since then.
At what age did he retire?
He retired at the age of 60.
So, are you saying he wasn’t 65 years old yet before he died?
No, he would have turned 62 on the 17th of August this year. He had just begun his retirement. It’s really unfortunate; he was 61 when he passed away last Saturday.
In your long journey of friendship with him, did he ever have any personal issues with people?
As for conflicts with people, maybe within his extended family, I can’t speak to that. But among friends and those close to him, I don’t think he had any issues. He was a genuinely good man—very kind to his family and those around him.
How many children did he have?
He had five daughters.
Could the mild heart condition you mentioned have worsened without anyone realising it?
I doubt it. What I mentioned happened three or four years ago, and the follow-up tests were fine. I’m a doctor, and even though I specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology, I have a solid understanding of cardiology.
The condition he had wasn’t life-threatening. People tend to panic when they hear “heart condition”, but not all of them are critical. It’s not like cancer, where even mild cases can be fatal if left unchecked. So, based on what I know, that issue wasn’t a ticking time bomb.
What would you like to tell Nigerians about what happened to your friend?
What I want to say is that Nigerians need to take life easy and reduce stress. As you grow older, whether or not you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, there’s a natural tendency for your blood pressure to rise.
With the kinds of food we eat, our cholesterol levels also go up, which can lead to elevated blood pressure. My advice to Nigerians is to be proactive: get regular medical check-ups. If you’re hypertensive, please take your medication consistently.
If you’re planning an event or involved in stressful preparations, take care of your health first. Even on the day of the event, check your blood pressure. Be mindful of your health. Above all, do not let the stress and anxiety caused by the country’s problems affect your personal well-being. Take your health seriously—it is your greatest asset.
PUNCH
