From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has been given the power to take over the prosecution of a murder case involving the owner of Hilton Hotel and Resort, Ile-Ife, Dr Rahmon Adedoyin, and six staff of the hotel, for the alleged murder of Timothy Adegoke, a Master student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).
The Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in Osun State, Olufemi Akande, granted the prayer of Falana who had written the state government on 1st April, to allow him to continue with the prosecution.
Akande, in a statement obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, said the letter of request by the chamber of Falana and Falana & Co, and a subsequent letter written by the family of the deceased, necessitated the power given to the lawyer to take over the protection from the police.
‘On 1st April 2022, Femi Falana, SAN, applied to the office of the Hon. Attorney General for fiat to take over the prosecution of the case,’ the statement read.
‘Thereafter, the deceased’s family wrote a letter to the Attorney General requesting for the Chambers of Femi Falana SAN to be allowed to prosecute the matter.
‘The learned silk letter and that of the family were immediately processed and the fiat requested for has since been granted.
‘The office of Chief Femi Falana, SAN, had already collected the letter conveying the fiat of the Attorney General to the learned silk.
‘The position as of today, in law, is that the office of Chief Femi Falana, SAN, is in full charge of the prosecution of the case,’ the letter added.
The hotelier, Adedoyin, Magdalene Chiefuna (24), Adeniyi Aderogba (37), Oluwale Lawrence (37), Oyetunde Kazeem (38), Adebayo Kunle (35) and Adedeji Adesola (23), were arraigned on March 3 on 11 count charges bothering on conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful killing of Timothy Adegoke, conspiracy to commit a felony, dumping of the body of Adegoke, conspiracy to improperly and indecently interfere with the body of Adegoke, conspiracy to alter receipt, altering and cancelling of receipt and administering of extra-judicial oath in connection with the killings.
At the last seating on March 30, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo, the Chief Judge of Osun State, had adjourned the matter to 25th April for the defendants to open their case having dismissed their no-case submission.