Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has asked the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, to transfer the suspects involved in the gruesome murder of Timothy Adegoke from an Abuja court to a competent court in Osun State.
Falana, who is the lawyer to the family of the deceased Master’s student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, made the request in a letter dated February 4, 2022.
It was titled, ‘Request to charge suspects in Timothy Adegoke’s case at the Osun State High Court’.
It has been earlier reported that the student died in controversial circumstances where he lodged at Hiltons Hotels and Resorts, Ile-Ife, to sit for an examination.
He was subsequently buried by the hotel management in a shallow grave without the knowledge of his family or the police.
The Nigeria Police Force has since charged the owner of the hotel, Rahmon Adedoyin, and six others before an Abuja High Court over the murder of Timothy, who died at the hotel on November 6, 2021.
According to the case summary and proof of evidence filed by the police, Adedoyin is being charged with illegally disposing of Adegoke’s body, altering and cancelling his payment receipt and removal of the hotel’s CCTV cameras with intent to destroy evidence.
Others charged with the educationist are Adedeji Adesola, 23; Magdalene Chiefuna, 24; Adeniyi Aderogba, 37; Oluwale Lawrence, 37; Oyetunde Kazeem, 38; Adebayo Kunle, 35, and others still at large.
But Falana, in his letter to the IGP, argued that the criminal offences were said to have been committed at Ile-Ife and that the suspects ought to have been charged before a court of competent jurisdiction in Osun State.
“Consequently, we are compelled to request you to use your good offices to ensure that the case file is handed over to the Attorney-General of Osun State to enable him to study same with a view to filing relevant charges against the suspects at the High Court of Osun State.
“Having demonstrated professionalism and unusual courage in the handling of the investigation of the case we are confident that you will not hesitate to accede to our request in the interest of justice.
“Otherwise, we shall not hesitate to institute legal proceedings to compel you to ensure that the criminal proceedings are instituted pursuant to the Criminal Code (34) Laws of Osun State,” the letter read in part.
