Dr. Rasheed Olaniyi laments missed chance to save his long-time friend, Kunle Akinyele, who collapsed during his wife’s 60th birthday party.
Dr. Rasheed Olaniyi, a medical doctor and long-time friend of the late Kunle Akinyele, a senior customs officer, has said he was prevented from saving Akinyele’s life after the latter collapsed at a party in April.
Akinyele reportedly slumped during his wife’s 60th birthday celebration at a church service in Idimu, Lagos and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
In an interview, Dr. Olaniyi recounted the chaotic scene that followed Akinyele’s collapse, saying interference from onlookers disrupted his efforts to administer CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
“We were in church when he suddenly slumped,” Olaniyi said. “Being a doctor, I immediately began CPR. But the environment was chaotic—he was rushed away before I could do it properly.”
Despite joining the medical team at the hospital to continue resuscitation efforts, it was too late. “Sadly, we lost him,” he said.
Olaniyi expressed frustration at the crowd’s lack of understanding of emergency procedures. “I kept explaining that CPR sometimes requires breaking the ribs to save a life. But people kept shouting, ‘Don’t injure him!’ They physically pushed me away.”
He noted that at least two people identified him as a medical doctor and asked others to let him help, but his efforts were still obstructed—primarily by a group of young men in their twenties.
“If I had been allowed to administer proper CPR right there in the church, things might have turned out differently. God knows,” he said.
Reflecting on the incident, Olaniyi said Akinyele had shown signs of discomfort earlier that day. “One of his drivers saw him looking cold and weak in the car. He poured water on his head and feet. If I had seen him then, I’d have taken him straight to the hospital.”
He also shared that Akinyele had no major health issues apart from mild hypertension. “He wasn’t asthmatic. The stress of organizing the event likely played a role,” he added.
Dr. Olaniyi, who had known Akinyele for over 40 years, urged Nigerians to take stress management seriously and adopt healthier lifestyles to avoid preventable tragedies.