BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Police, on Monday, indicated that autopsy was being carried out on the remains of Timothy Adegoke, a Masters degree student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, who was found dead recently at Hilton Hotel and Resort, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Pathologists from the family of the deceased, the suspects, the police, as well as some officials of the Osun State Government were on ground at the mortuary of the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, to inspect the dismembered body of the victim.
It was learnt that tests were carried out on the remains of the deceased to ascertain the cause of his death.
At about 1:35pm, the corpse was taken to the X-ray Unit of the hospital and later returned to the morgue. It was gathered that the results of the autopsy would be available in three weeks.
The family of the deceased, while addressing a press conference at the hospital premises on Monday, alleged the Osun State Police of attempts to cover up facts on the matter.
Raheem Adekilekun, counsel to the family, demanded an inquiry into an audio message that was released to the public by the Chairman of Hilton Hotel and Resort, Dr. Rahman Adedoyin, who was in detention.
Adekilekun, flanked by members of the family of the victim, and another lawyer, Nurudeen Kareem, expressed worry over the statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, alleging that the remains of Adegoke were not mutilated contrary to what some of his relations observed when being HE.
The lawyer said that the police might have been giving Adedoyin preferential treatment in the custody which enabled him to issue the viral audio in which he claimed innocence in Adegoke’s death.
“We wish to raise some pertinent questions which we believe are rational in the estimation of right-thinking Nigerians. We demand the following: An immediate inquiry into the circumstances that led to the production of an audio that is in circulation in which the chairman of the hotel, Mr. Rahman Adedoyin, whom the police claimed to be in their custody, recorded an appeal to members of the public pleading his innocence; and a clearer statement on what prompted the Police Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Command, Yemisi Opalola, to hastily tell members of the public that there was nothing to show any form of mutilation in the body of the deceased when exhumed from the shallow grave.
“This is contrary to what witnesses who were at the site of the exhumation claimed. The police need to clear air on the reported preferential and VIP treatments being accorded the owner of the hotel, Rahman Adedoyin. This is already in public domain and for the sake of fairness and an assurance of justice, the police need to speak up on this.
“We have also watched with dismay the various attempts to confuse members of the public with endless statements bordering on the innocence of the chairman and founder of the hotel, Rahman Adedoyin.
“We would prefer that all the suspects await their days in court to prove their innocence instead of the use of the media to appeal to sentiments.
“We wish to call on the police to use this case as another litmus in its bid to restore the confidence of Nigerians in its ability to unravel crimes, no matter how the perpetrators think they have covered their tracks,” Adekilekun said.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Wale Olokode, said the Command would be professional in handling the matter.
The CP, who added that he was unaware of the viral audio message purportedly released by the detained Adedoyin, insisted that Adegoke’s remains were not mutilated as claimed.
He said, “The team of policemen that were at the exhumation scene didn’t confirm that the body was mutilated. It’s very surprising to us that people are saying that. I am not aware of any audio recording. As far as the Osun Police Command is concerned, we have done justice to the investigation so far.”
