BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Police team prosecuting the case of alleged murder of a postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Timothy Adegoke on Monday closed its case against the owner of Hilton Hotels & Resorts in Ile-Ife, Dr Rahman Adedoyin and six of his workers who are standing trial in connection with Adegoke’s alleged murder at an Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo.
Adedoyin and his hotel workers including Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwole Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem, Adebayo Kunle and Adedeji Adesola are facing trial on eleven-count charges, bordering on murder, conspiracy, felony amongst others.
At the resumed hearing on Monday, the lead prosecution counsel, M. O. Omosun, informed the court that the prosecution has closed its case after calling eight witnesses and tendering several evidences to prove the allegations.
Testifying before the court, the eighth and final prosecution witness, Samuel Odeh, a Deputy Superintendent of Police from Force Criminal Investigation Department, informed the court that forensic analysis was done on a curtain swab stick obtained from the room 305 that the deceased lodged before his demise.
Odeh, a forensic scientist and crime scene investigator, said the analysis was to ascertain the substance found on the sample. He said, “On January 11, 2022, a letter of request was received from the IPO in Abuja seeking an analysis to be done on a sample brought and the Commissioner of Police minuted to ACP Benedict Agbo, whom I work under. The request was to identify the substance on the curtain swab stick and it was done and a report was issued to that effect. There was a typographical error on the date of the first report but it has been corrected.”
Omosun tendered the result of the forensic analysis as evidence, which the court admitted despite objections of the defence counsels. The prosecutor informed the court that a staff of UBA was served court surmon to appear in court to give evidence but the staff was absent. He therefore closed the prosecution case.
When the presiding judge, Justice Adepele Ojo asked the defence to open their case, counsels to the seven defendants said they would furnishing the court with a no case submission.
The counsel to Adedoyin, the first defendant, Yusuf Alli, SAN, counsel to the second, fourth and fifth defendants,
Muritala Abdulrasheed, SAN, the third and sixth defendants’ counsel, Ronald Otaru, SAN, and counsel to the seventh defendant,
Okon Edet, urged the court to give them two days to file their written no case addresses having gone through all the evidences tendered by the prosecution.
“We have followed with rapt attention, and the evidence tendered so far in this matter, we believe that this is a case we should do a no case submission. We therefore pray your Lordship to give us 48 hours to file our no case submission,” Alli said as other counsels also applied for same two days to file their no case addresses.
Justice Ojo, however, granted the prayers of the defence counsels and also gave the prosecution two days to file replies to the no case submissions to be filed for each of the accused persons.
Ojo adjourned till Friday, March 25, for adoption of written addresses adding that she may give ruling on the no case submission and prosecution’s replies next week Monday or Tuesday if the submissions are brief.
