A university lecturer who took his own life while under the influence of drugs did so after struggling with living in England, an inquest heard.
Tolulope Olawumi Oladosu, 35, who previously had a successful career in West Africa, received a PhD in medical microbiology before moving to England in early 2022.
His work focused on the effects of HIV, and he started his career with the Bells University of Technology, one of Nigeria's leading private universities.
Many of his family members attended the inquest held at the Norfolk Coroner’s Court at County Hall, Norwich, on Wednesday, March 29.
The court heard that Dr Oladosu, who was affectionately called “Tolu” by his loved ones, was a loving family man who was dedicated to his children.
In April 2022, he moved to the country to King’s Lynn after his wife, who he married in 2018, was given the opportunity to advance her own career as a nurse.
A statement from his older brother, Olutayo Oladuso, described their relationship as “very close”.
“We had shared goals, ambitions and aspirations,” he said.
“It saddens me that I will not see my brother live to be all that he desired to be.
“Tolu always wanted everyone to be the best at whatever they did. He was an encourager and a motivator; someone who wouldn’t like to inconvenience anyone, calm, easy-going, loving, and showed empathy.
“He loved his family so much. He did everything to make sure his wife and kids were doing great, including relocating to the UK so that his wife could pursue her dream to become a UK-trained and registered nurse.”
After moving to the UK, Dr Oladuso struggled to find suitable employment and accommodation for the family. They had been living in a house-share.
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In another statement read to the court, his wife, Tunmise Oladuso, said: “I wanted him to be happy but unfortunately not practicing in his field was one of the major concerns I noticed always bothered him."
On Tuesday, August 2, Mrs Oladuso woke to find her husband missing and his phone left on the bed.
She raised the alarm with the police and explained that he had last been seen at their home in Gayton Road at approximately 11.30pm the previous day. Officers attended and found blood in the kitchen.
After reviewing CCTV footage obtained from the shared property, they witnessed Dr Oladuso go into the kitchen at around 11pm and walk to where the knives were stored.
Following search efforts by police and Norfolk Lowland Search and Rescue, his body was discovered in a ditch in Swan Lane on the afternoon of Thursday, August 4.
A postmortem showed a stab wound to the abdomen, while a toxicology report found cocaine in his system.
Concluding a narrative verdict, assistant coroner Samantha Goward, said: “He died as a result of a self-inflicted knife wound. It is not clear from the evidence what his state of mind was at the time, but cocaine use found at postmortem may have affected this.”
Dr Oladosu was born on May 29, 1987 in Africa.
- If you need help and support, call NHS 111 and select option 2 or the Samaritans on 116 123. Both services are available 24 hours, 7 days a week. You can also download the Stay Alive app on Apple & Android.
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