Police Ought To Have Declared Hotel MD Wanted, Says Slain OAU Student’s Lawyer

An Abuja based lawyer, Kayode Ajulo, who is the counsel for the family of Timothy Adegoke, the OAU Masters’ student that died in a controversial circumstances has faulted the police for not declaring the Managing Director of Hilton Hotel and Resorts, Ile Ife, Raheem Adedotun.

Adegoke reportedly lodged in the hotel and went missing thereafter. His remains were said to have been exhumed from a shallow grave in the bush not very far from the hotel some days after.

Autopsy was carried out on his corpse on Monday and the result is still being awaited.

But Ajulo in a statement on Thursday said since the police had found out that the MD supervised the evacuation of the corpse from the hotel, they ought to have declared him wanted.

The lawyer also said the MD’s father who is the owner of the hotel, Dr Rahman Adedoyin and other suspects ought to have been charged to court because he was already in police detention.

Ajulo said in the statement, “Of more interest is the intriguing statement made by the Osun State Commissioner of Police, wherein Dr Rahman Adedoyin’s son, Raheem Adedoyin was identified as the one who dumped the corpse of the late Timothy Adegoke in the bush.

“While we welcome this development with keen interest, one would readily expect the Nigerian Police to immediately declare the said Raheem Adedoyin wanted for this ignominious, monstrous and gruesome acts, but what still befuddles the minds of those who care to know is that up till the time of this piece, the Nigerian Police, particularly the Osun State Police Command has failed to do so; for reasons best known to them.

“While one wonders whether the labelling of Raheem Adedoyin as a prime suspect is a game plan to unclamp Dr. Rahman Adedoyin, a panoptic appraisal of the whole saga will reveal nothing more than an attempt by some dark sections to allow glittering externalities to subvert the core of genuine probing and discreet investigations in the guise to pervert the cause of justice which we shall definitely refute.

“Now that the Police know so much, it is time to start asking more questions: Why has Raheem Adedoyin not been declared wanted and an intelligence team churned out to arrest him?

“Why would the hoteliers break into the Late Timothy Adegoke’s room on the first night when he actually paid for two nights at the hotel?

“Why have not the suspects been charged before a Court of Competent record as prescribed by the Constitution?

“Without doubt, it must be clear to those who still have eyes to see and a conscience which is alive, that the credibility of the Nigerian Police Force at such a crucial time like this depends in large measure on their handling of this present case where some persons have declared themselves as the untouchables!

“While we seek justice for the dead and respite for the deceased’s family, we take the liberty to maintain that Osun State Government owes our client and its people some explanations, as we also ask the Osun State Government: what are the requisites of issuance of hospitality license to some business concerns in the first place; perhaps several mishaps and misfortunes would have been aborted!

“As event unfolds, we are resolute on ensuring that justice is done and anyone found wanting will face the wrath of the law within the limits permissible by the law!”

The Police Public Relations Officer in Osun State, Yemisi Opalola, could not be reached for her comment on the matter