Ismaeel Uthman
THERE was heavy presence of security operatives at the High Court Complex, Osogbo, State of Osun, yesterday when the founder of Oduduwa University Ile-Ife(OUI), Dr. Ramon Adedoyin was arraigned before the court over the death of Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU.
Adedoyin, who owns Hilton Hotel and Resort, Ile-Ife where Adegoke lodged and died, was arraigned alongside six workers of the hotel before High Court 1 being presided over by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Adepele Ojo.
The workers of the hotel who were arraigned with Adedoyin are: Adedeji Adesola, Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwale Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem and Adebayo Kunle
The accused persons had earlier been arraigned before a High Court in Abuja which remanded them in correctional centre on allegations of murder, conspiracy, unlawful interference with a dead body, altering and intent to destroy evidence.
But counsel to the family of the deceased, Femi Falana, SAN, had written to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba asking that the matter be returned to Osun, where the crime was allegedly committed.
Consequently, the accused persons were transferred to Osun on Wednesday for onward arraignment at the court yesterday.
Before the arrival of the accused persons, security operatives, majorly of policemen, have been positioned strategically at the High Court complex.
The entrance gate of the court was also manned by many heavily armed policemen and some plainclothes security men, suspected to be operatives of State Security Service.
People going in were thoroughly searched and made to identify themselves before they were allowed into the premises.
Adedoyin and six workers of his hotel were arraigned on 11 count-charge bordering on murder, conspiracy, intent to destroy evidence and unlawful interference with dead bodies.
But they all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Counsels to the accused persons, K.K Eleja and Mr Kunle Adegoke, both SAN, pleaded with the court to release the first to sixth defendants on bail, saying that they were presumed innocent until contrary is proved in a court of law.
The seventh accused person, Adesola Adedeji who was just added to the charge, had no legal representation.
The prosecution counsel, Mr. M. Omosun objected the bail application on the ground that the charges against the accused persons carried capital punishment.
In her ruling, Justice Ojo ordered that the defendants be remanded in Ilesa Correctional centre and adjourned the case till today, Friday, March 4, for the argument of bail of the seventh accused person.
