Ondo: Witness slumps, dies in court before testifying

An old man invited to appear as a witness in a ongoing case, has slumped and died inside a courtroom in Ondo State.

It was gathered that the yet-to-be-identified septuagenarian suddenly fell to the floor before court proceedings began at the High Court in Oka, Ondo.

Eyewitnesses disclosed that the deceased was present to testify in a case involving his friend. A court worker said he did not have any interaction or collision with anyone or anything when the incident occurred.

The official said: “The man was in court with his friend and suddenly, he stood up where he was seated and fell down, hitting his head on the tiles and he passed on.

“He didn’t look like someone who was sick and he did not collide with anything or anybody that we may say was the cause of his death.

Tunde Ariyo, a man who was present in the courtroom at the time of occurence, said police men from the Enu-Owa Police Division were called in to take the deceased to the mortuary.

Police sources at the Enu-Owa Police Division have confirmed the unfortunate incident. They said the case has been transferred to the homicide section in Akure.