Late coach Stephen Keshi
While speaking with journalists in Benin, the Edo
State capital on Wednesday, Richard Aburime, the brother in-law to the late Super Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi, has narrated how the legendary footballer spent his last days on earth.
It was widely reported online and on social media yesterday that the former captain and coach of the senior national team died on Tuesday at the age of 54.
Richard who disclosed that the late sports icon died just before he arrived Faith Mediplex, the hospital he was rushed to on Tuesday night, said the late coach had a history of leg pains following years of successful professional football, which was usually managed with massaging.
He said following his last complains and subsequent massaging, Keshi’s body system and health suddenly degenerated as a result of which he was at about 11.30pm rushed to the hospital, which is about 20 minutes’ drive from his residence at Giwa Amu area of Government Reserved Area in Benin City.
“He had complained of pains in his leg for some days and they kept massaging it for him. When he complained of it yesterday, they massaged it for him again,” he recounted.
“About one and half hours after the massaging, he was in serious distress and was gasping for breath. That was how we rushed him to the hospital, a distance of about 20 minutes.”
“But by the time he arrived at the hospital, the doctor certified him dead on arrival. That was between 11:30 and 11:45 pm.”
“It was the nurse that first came out. She checked for pulse and said there was no more pulse in him. Doctors later came and do all the stuffs they do; but nothing came out of it,” he said.
While reacting to reports that Keshi died of cardiac arrest, Aburime cautioned the media against speculating on what killed the coach, adding that only a proper toxicological autopsy to be conducted would determine the actual cause of the death of the late skipper of Super Eagles.
Richard said after the doctors confirmed Keshi dead, they could not issue any report or present any death certificate because the late coach was not a patient of the hospital.
“After the confirmation, as he was not a patient of the hospital, they could not write any report or present any death certificate. They said we must bring the police. So, the police came to inspect the body.
“I am about to take the corpse to Stella Obasanjo Hospital now, pending the autopsy the family wants to do. Dr. Wilson Akhiwu will conduct the autopsy.
“There is no official statement as to the cause of his death. There will be no embalming. It was sudden and we don’t want anybody to speculate.
“That massage on his leg had taken one hour before the distress. There was no sign of ill-health (before) and Keshi had not complained recently,” he said aand assured that the autopsy report from qualified doctors would be made public at a press conference befitting Keshi’s status.
