Adeleke: Family Can Only Reject Inquest On Court Order

A legal expert, Mr Wahab Shittu, yesterday said the family of late Senator Isiaka Adeleke can only refuse to appear before a state-ordered inquest if the decision is backed by a court order.

He said refusing to appear before a Coroner could be unlawful.

Shittu, however, said the circumstances of the Senator’s death means it may not be ideal to compel the family to appear at the inquest.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) law teacher was reacting to the family’s rejection of a coroner’s Inquest ordered by the Osun State government to determine the cause of the politician’s death.

Following Adeleke’s death on April 30, Governor Rauf Aregbesola signed an executive order setting up a coroner inquest under the state’s Coroner Law of 2002. He appointed a Magistrate, Mr Olusegun Ayodele, as the Coroner.

Rejecting the inquest, the family said it was ill advised, self serving and its outcome per-determined.

Shittu said other factors outside the legal  consequences of the family’s rejection of the inquest must be considered.

“Without a court order, it’ll be difficult for the family to sustain its position, because that may be tantamount to interfering with lawfully constituted authority.

“But these are not issues that can be resolved by legal considerations alone. We also have to take into cognizance other permutations, including the psychological feelings of the family.

“This is why it’s not a matter that is strictly legal. There are extra-legal factors that need to be considered going forward,” he said.