How I was stopped from saving ex-Customs officer who slumped at wife’s birthday thanksgiving service – Doctor

Rasheed Olaniyi, a medical doctor, has shared how he was prevented from performing life-saving measures on Kunle Akinyele, a retired Customs officer who collapsed and died during his wife’s 60th birthday thanksgiving in April.

In an interview with Punch, Olaniyi, who was a longtime friend of the deceased, said he was interrupted while trying to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which might have saved Akinyele’s life.

“We were in church to celebrate his wife’s 60th birthday when he suddenly slumped. I am a medical doctor, so I immediately attempted CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation or mouth-to-mouth resuscitation),” Olaniyi was quoted as saying.

“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 is how we lost him.”

Olaniyi explained that he had tried to convince those around that he was a doctor and was trying to resuscitate Akinyele, but they blocked him from continuing.

“There were several people around. None of them were medical professionals. They kept shouting: ‘don’t injure him, don’t injure him!

“I kept explaining that CPR sometimes involves breaking the ribs—if that is 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.

“If I had been allowed to do proper CPR right there inside the church, maybe we would have had a different outcome. God knows. I was right there the moment it happened.

“Akinyele and I belonged to the same club. At least two people shouted: ‘Let him attend to him’, ‘he’s a medical doctor.’”

He said a group of young men, some in their 20s, intervened and stopped him.
“They kept interfering. 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 added.

Olaniyi said doctors at the hospital later confirmed that prompt CPR might have saved Akinyele’s life.

“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,” he said.

“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. He was my friend for over 40 years. That’s a very long time.”

The doctor also advised Nigerians to reduce stress and adopt healthier lifestyles to avoid serious health risks.