Nigerian Man Dies At Banjul Magistrate Court

Paulino Ocante, a Nigerian national now based in United States of America, was said to have collapsed in the office of Magistrate Kayode Olajubutu where he went to receive money he was supposed to be paid by Lawyer Sheriff Tambedou.

Sources said Mr. Ocante's Gambian wife sold a vehicle to Lawyer Tambedou who effected a part payment of US$21,000 but Mrs. Ocante wanted to resell the same car to somebody else and as a result the matter ended in a court of law.

The sources revealed it was the balance of US$ 4000 that Lawyer Tambedou went to settle, but while at the magistrate's chambers Mr Ocante suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH) where he was clinically pronounced dead.

When contacted to shed light on the matter, Magistrate Kayode explained. Mr. Tambedou and the deceased were in his office on Monday for Mr. Tambedou to settle the balance due to take possession of the car in question which was a matter of litigation before him.

He said that Mr. Tambedou went to court to take delivery of the car because it was a problem to have it from the lady. He revealed that when the claim was read to the lady in court she admitted liability.

He said he made an order to that effect for the car to be brought to the court pending the outcome of the case. He stated that Mr. Tambedou went to the court last Friday to commit the woman for not obeying the court orders.

According to him the deceased on Monday came to the court with Mr. Tambedou and said that he wanted to have the matter settled out of court and it was for that purpose that they went away to discuss the issue. After some time they returned and informed him that they've agreed on terms that Mr Tambedou pay the balance of US$ 4000 and have delivery of the car. He said that the man made a promise that he will bring the car before the close of work. He explained at around 3.30pm Mr. Tambedou returned to his chambers to inform that the man has called that he is around DentonBridge coming with the car.

He said when the man arrived Mr. Tambedou told him that he had US$ 2000 but the other two thousand dollars was in Dalasis, but the man insisted that he would want the whole amount in dollars as he planned to leave for the US the following day. He added that as Mr. Tambedou was trying to call someone who could convert the Dalasi into dollars, all of a sudden, the man collapsed, thus he was rushed to the hospital.