Police begin autopsy on Adegoke’s remains as family alleges cover-up

The Police, yesterday, commenced autopsy on the remains of Timothy Oluwadare Adegoke, a Master’s degree student at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, who was found dead recently at Hilton Hotel and Resort, Ile-Ife, before his corpse was buried in a nearby bush.

At the mortuary of Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, yesterday, pathologists and members of the deceased’s family, suspects, Police and Osun State Government were on the ground to carry out the examination on Adegoke’s remains.

The corpse was taken to the X-ray unit of the hospital at about 1:35p.m, before it was returned to the morgue. It was gathered that the results of the autopsy would be available in the next three weeks.

But in a press briefing at the hospital premises, the deceased’s family accused Osun State Police of attempts to cover up facts.

Speaking on behalf of the family, one of the family’s lawyers, Raheem Adekilekun, demanded an immediate inquiry into how an audio message was released to the public by the Chairman of the Hilton hotel, Dr. Rahman Adedoyin, who is believed to be in detention.

Adekilekun, flanked by members of the family and another lawyer, Nurudeen Kareem, expressed worry over the statement by the State Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, that the remains of Adegoke were not mutilated contrary to what some of his relations, who were at the scene where the body was exhumed, observed.

He said the police might be giving Adedoyin preferential treatment in custody that enabled him to purportedly issue the viral audio where he argued his innocence in the death of Adegoke.

“We wish to raise some pertinent questions, which we believe are rational in the estimation of right-thinking Nigerians. We demand the followings: “An immediate inquiry into the circumstances that led to the production of audio that is in circulation in which the chairman of the hotel, Mr. Rahman Adedoyin, whom the police claimed to be in their custody, recorded an appeal to members of the public pleading his innocence.

“We need a clearer statement on what prompted the Police Public Relations Officer of Osun, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola, to hastily tell members of the public that there was nothing to show any form of mutilation in the body of the deceased when exhumed from the shallow grave. This is contrary to what witnesses who were at the site of the exhumation claim.

“The Police need to clear the air on the reported preferential and VIP treatment being accorded the owner of the hotel, Mr. Rahman Adedoyin. This is already in the public domain and for the sake of fairness and assurance of justice, the police need to speak up on this.
 
“We have also watched with dismay, the various attempts to confuse members of the public with endless statements bordering on the ‘innocence’ of the Chairman and founder of the hotel, Rahman Adedoyin.

“We would rather prefer that all the suspects await their days in court to prove their innocence instead of resort to the use of the media to appeal to sentiments.

“We wish to call on the police to use this case as another litmus in its bid to restore the confidence of Nigerians in its ability to unravel crimes, no matter how the perpetrators think they have covered their tracks,” Adekilekun said.

In his reaction, the State Police Commissioner, Wale Olokode said the police would not be biased in handling the matter and said he was not aware of the viral audio message purportedly released by detained Adedoyin.

“I am not aware of any audio recording. As far as the Osun Police command is concerned, we have done justice to the investigation so far. I can authoritatively say that we are not biased in the investigation. The autopsy result will guide us to the prosecution,” he stated.