Author: oduduwanews

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gudu, in Apo, Abuja, has struck out the case of the alleged murder of Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife, Osun State.

In November last year, Mr Adegoke was reportedly murdered at Hilton Honour Hotel and Resorts, Ile Ife.

The judge, Modupe Osho-Adebiyi, issued the order striking out the charges filed in connection to his death after the prosecuting counsel, Ochogwu Ogbe, moved an application for discontinuance of the case on Tuesday.

Mr Ogbe, representing the police prosecuting team, said the withdrawal of the case was necessitated by the need for further investigations on the case.

The lawyer said this was in view of some “new facts” found concerning the case.

“Take notice that the complainant discontinues all the proceedings in the case against the defendants for further investigation,” part of the prosecution’s court filing read.

The judge, Ms Osho-Adebiyi, subsequently struck out the case on the basis of the application.

“Since the prosecutor has applied for a discontinuance of case and the defendants are not opposing the application, I hereby struck out the case,” she ruled.

The ruling came as a temporary reprieve for the seven defendants, including Rahmon Adedoyin, the owner of Hilton Honour Hotel and Resorts, Ile Ife, where Mr Adegoke was reportedly murdered in November, 2021.

It is, however, not immediately clear if the police would release the defendants during the period of further investigations.

The decision by the police to withdraw the charges came on the heels of the request by the Adegoke family lawyer, Femi Falana’s request for the case to be transferred to Ile Ife in Osun State, where the alleged offences were said to have been committed.

Controversy had trailed Mr Adegoke’s death after he lodged at Hilton Hotel and Resort in Ile Ife, Osun State.

He was in the ancient city to write an examination at the OAU Distance Learning Centre, Moro campus, when he was declared missing on November 7, 2021.

Mr Adegoke’s body was said to have been discovered after some suspects, including workers at the hotel, were arrested by the police for questioning.

The police had stepped into the matter, and in January, charged the owner of the hotel, Rahmon Adedoyin, and six others over Mr Adegoke’s death.

Mr Adedoyin was charged with an attempted felony, conspiracy, unlawful interference with Adegoke’s corpse, and tampering with the hotel’s receipt and CCTV camera, with the intent to destroy evidence that would prove that Mr Adegoke visited the hotel.

Others charged alongside Mr Adedoyin are: Adedeji Adesola, 23; Magdalene Chiefuna, 24; Adeniyi Aderogba, 37; Oluwale Lawrence, 37, Oyetunde Kazeem, 38; Adebayo Kunle, 35, and others at large.

Those at large were Prince Rahim Adedoyin, Esther Asifo and Quadiri Moshood.

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, has asked that the suspects in the murder of Timothy Adegoke, a post-graduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), be transferred to Osun state for prosecution.

Falana, in a letter addressed to Usman Baba, inspector-general of police, said the suspects should have been charged to court in the jurisdiction where the incident happened — Osun — and not Abuja.

On November 5, 2021, Adegoke, a 37-year-old man travelled from Abuja to take an examination at OAU distance learning centre in Moro, Osun.

He was said to have lodged at Hilton Hotel and Resorts, Ile Ife. He was, however, declared missing two days later — only to be found dead.

Subsequently, the police arrested and charged Ramon Adedoyin, chairman of the hotel, and six suspects to an Abuja high court for alleged involvement in the murder of Adegoke.

Addressing the IGP, Falana said he should ensure that the case file is handed over to the attorney-general of Osun state for prosecution.

“Based on the complaint of our clients the Nigeria Police Force arrested some of the suspects while others who are currently at large had been declared wanted,” the letter reads.

“To our utter dismay the arrested suspects have been arraigned before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on a 7- count charge of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, conspiracy to commit improper or indecent interference with the body of the deceased, uttering and intent to destroy evidence under the Penal Code.

“However, as all the aforesaid criminal offences were said to have been committed at Ile-Ife you will agree with us that the suspects ought to have been charged before a court of competent jurisdiction in Osun state.”

The family of the deceased, in a letter dated February 3, had sought the legal services of Falana to demand justice.

Former presidential candidate and Co-Convener, Nigerian Consultative Forum, Prof Pat Utomi, has said prominent Nigerians, labour unions and civil society organisations are forming an alliance against Nigeria’s biggest political parties – the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party – in the 2023 general elections.

Utomi, a professor of political economy, said the coalition would not register as a new political party but adopt the already existing ones.

Apart from the APC and the PDP, there are 16 other parties registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, with over 100 applications awaiting the electoral umpire’s approval.

Speaking on Sunday Politics, a current affairs programme on Channels Television which our correspondent monitored from Abuja on Sunday, Utomi said the coalition should not be considered as a ‘third force’ like that of the 2019 elections.

Utomi decried that “those who have captured the Nigerian state” have excluded various groups of citizens such as women, youths and professionals.

When asked about the agenda of the coalition, the Professor said, “It is the alternative. Third force is usage; there are these two juggernauts (APC and PDP) and there is a third one coming. They are actually not two juggernauts but one people who call themselves different names. Now, we want to create another group that is more authentic, more focused on the people. This is the group that we are putting together.”

Responding to a question about those who are forming the alliance, Utomi said, “It is an amazing array of Nigerians. By the way, for the first time, civil societies are ready to be inside of the arena. They played as civil society in the past but civil society is coming in. Think of all the major leaders of the civil society, whether it is Femi Falana, Oby Ezekwesili; they are all part of this arrangement.

“The labour; as I told you, the NLC President made a full and total commitment that they would bring the labour movement into what we are founding. People like Dr Usman Bugaje; former Governor (of Kano State) Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, and on and on. We are fully committed to this process.