From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Pathologists invited to conduct autopsy on the remains of Timothy Adegoke, a Master’s student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, whose corpse was exhumed some days after he was declared missing, arrived Osun State University Teaching Hospital (UNIOSUNTH), Osogbo, around 2pm, yesterday.
Families of the deceased, counsels and journalists arrived at the hospital by 11am when the autopsy was slated, to monitor the event.
The corpse was taken out of the hospital’s mortuary department for X-ray and later returned for other examinations.
Lead counsel to the family of the late Adegoke, Naheem Adekilekun, said the pathologist of the family of the deceased was there to represent them. The Police Investigative Officer (IPO) and other parties were allowed into the mortuary, while journalists and other members stood outside.
Meanwhile, speaking with newsmen on behalf of the family, Adekilekun, from the chamber of Wemimo, Adekilekun and Co, challenged the police over the alleged audio of one of the suspects and the owner of Hilton Hotel and Resorts, Dr Rahmon Adedoyin. He expressed concern over the audio of the suspect who was said to be in police detention, saying he was pleading innocence in the audio.
The counsel said the action of Osun police command’s spokesperson, 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, was contrary to what witnesses who were at the site of the exhumation claimed. He called on the police to give explanation on the reported ‘preferential and VIP treatments’ being accorded to the owner of the hotel who was claimed to be in their detention.
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“We demand an immediate inquiry into the circumstances that led to the production of 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.
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“We demand a clearer statement on what prompted the Police Public Relations Officer of Osun, Mrs 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 the air on the reported preferential and VIP treatments being accorded the owner of the hotel, Mr Rahman Adedoyin. This case is already in the public domain and for the sake of fairness and 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 rather prefer that all the suspects await their days in court to prove their innocence, instead of resorting to 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,” the counsel added.