- Lawyer wants Case Tried In Osun
By Yusuf Oketola & Kazeem Badmus
THE remains of Late Timothy Adegoke, the MBA student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, who was murdered at Hilton Hotel and Resort, Ile-Ife will tomorrow, Saturday, January 29, 2022, will be laid to rest in his hometown, Eruwa, in Oyo state.
The burial arrangements, according to Eruwa Youth Movement, will begin with a candle light possession today, Friday, January 28, 2022 at New Garage, Sango, Eruwa.
Timothy Adegoke was suspected to have been murdered in his hotel room in Ile-Ife on November 6, 2021, where he had lodged.
The Chairman of the hotel, Dr. Rahmon Adedoyin and six workers of the place were arrested by the police in connection with Adegoke’s death and disposal of his remains.
The workers are: Adedeji Adesola (23), Magdalene Chiefuna (24), Adeniyi Aderogba (37), Oluwale Lawrence (37), Oyetunde Kazeem (38), Adebayo Kunle (35) while other suspects were still at large.
Following the completion of investigation on the case, the Nigeria Police Force, on Tuesday, charged Adedoyin and the six workers to an Abuja High Court.
The police charged Adedoyin for unlawful interference with a dead body by illegally disposing Adegoke’s body, altering and cancelling his payment receipt and the removal of the hotel’s CCTV cameras with intent to destroy evidence.
According to the case summary and proof of evidence filed by the Police, the workers were accused of murder, conspiracy, altering receipt, among other allegations.
Lawyer wants Case Tried In Osun
Meanwhile, counsel to the family of the deceased, Naim Adekilekun, has urged the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, to ensure that the prosecution of the accused persons take place in the state of Osun where the crime was committed.
In a letter sent to Alkali on January 18, 2022, Adekilekun argued that since none of the elements of the offence to be tried happened in the Federal Capital Territory, the case should not be tried there.
According to the counsel, the appropriate court to prosecute the case is the High Court of Justice, State of Osun where the actual crime was perpetrated.
He also stated that the case maybe technically knocked out or defeated if tried outside Osun, adding that Justice may be hard to serve.
The letter reads in parts: “It must be stated here that the family never doubted the competence of the Police to prosecute this case to a logical conclusion. But as the solicitors to the family, we have our reservation to the prosecution of this case at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.
“To start with, in criminal prosecution, the Court in the territorial jurisdiction of the area of the alleged crime will be seised of the case and nothing more, although this may not be the case of some Federal offences triable at the Federal High Court of any judicial Division and the reason for, is not far-fetched this can be traced to the fact that the Law recognises Federal High Court of Nigeria to be one and single court irrespective of the Division.
“Criminal trials are tied to the jurisdiction of where the actual crime was committed, we are of the firm view that since none of the elements of the offence to be tried by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory happened or took place in the Federal Capital Territory, we shall be demanding that the case be tried at the High Court of Osun State, being the court with the requisite jurisdiction to try the case.
