BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
At the resumed hearing of the trial of the alleged murder of Timothy Adegoke on Tuesday, a postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, the police officer who investigated the matter informed the Osun State High Court that Roheem Adedoyin, the fleeing son of Rhaman Adedoyin, conducted an oath among hotel staff after Adegoke’s lifeless body was dumped in a refuse dump site.
The investigative officer, Inspector Afeez Olaniyan, while being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, M. O. Amosun, said part of Adegoke’s body was already decomposing when it was exhumed from the dumping site where it was buried.
According to Olaniyan, Roheem, who has been declared wanted, took oath of secrecy with other staff of the Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Ile-Ife, including Magdalene Chiefuna, Oluwole Lawrence and Oyetunde Kazeem, after the corpse, wrapped in a white duvet and carton, was dumped at a refuse dumping site, not too far to the hotel.
He said Roheem drove some workers to the place where Adegoke’s body was dumped adding that in a bid to cover up this act, the hotel document which had the deceased’s record was altered and doctored.
Olaniyan said his team saw a blood pattern on the door of the room 303 where Adegoke lodged adding that an expert that was brought to examine it said it was a paint. He also added that another blood stain that was seen on the wall was yet to be subjected to test.
“When I entered the room, I noticed there was something like a blood pattern on the door. In view of that, we decided to lock the door. On our next visit to the room, we went with an expert, a crime scene manager, DSP Kelani, who confirmed that some of the patterns were paints while we took the one he (Kelani) suspected to be blood for further examination.
“We were planning to send the sample to the lab for forensic analysis but they haven’t done it before the investigation was taken over by the Force Headquarters, Abuja. They (hotel workers) told me that the corpse was taken to Ede Road where it was dumped. Roheem Adedoyin drove the Hilux that conveyed the body,” he said.
The IPO added that none of the hotel management and staff lodged complaints to the police after the incident.
He added that the oath was taken with the Bible and everyone was warned against disclosing what happened. In the evening of that day, Roheem took Kazeem and one other to Ede Road where the body was dumped alongside the victim’s belongings.
“My investigation was rigorous. But at then, we were able to establish that Timothy actually lodged at the hotel. We were able to establish that his lifeless body was discovered on 7th November, 2021 which was on Sunday. And the corpse was disrespected by removing it unlawfully and dumping it on refuse site. It was in a bid to cover up the act that led to the doctoring of the hotel document which the original one was later discovered from Adesola’s phone (one of the defendants).
Roheem Adedoyin drove a new Hilux with other workers to the refuse dumping site that Timothy Adegoke’s body was dumped.
“The circumstances surrounding the death of late Timothy was highly suspicious and that was why the corpse was deposited for experts opinion through autopsy in order to ascertain the cause of the death,” Olaniyan said.
Hearing continues tomorrow.
