The prosecutor handling the murder case against an Osun State Hotelier, Dr. Rahman Adedoyin, and six of his staff, has closed his case after calling eight witnesses.
A student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, Timothy Adegoke, was said to have lodged at the Hilton Hotel on November 5, 2021 before he was declared missing and later found in the bush where he was dumped.
Adedoyin, Adedeji Adesola (23), Magdalene Chiefuna (24), Adeniyi Aderogba (37), Oluwale Lawrence (37), Oyetunde Kazeem (38) and Adebayo Kunle (35), were arraigned on March 3, 2022 on 11 count charges bothering on conspiracy, unlawful killing, attempt to commit felony to wit killing, dumping of remains of Adegoke inside bush, improper and indecent interference with the body of the deceased.
The charge sheet alleged that the defendants dumped the body of Adegoke, his laptop and mobile phone inside bush to cover up that the deceased did not sleep in Hilton hotel.
They were also alleged to have altered a receipt number 7316 to cover up that the deceased did not pay to the hotel.
At the resumed trial on Monday, the prosecutor, M. O. Omosun called a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Samuel Odeh, who tendered the report of forensic analysis conducted by his department.
The prosecution witness 8, Odeh, a forensic scientist from Force Criminal Investigation Department, tendered the report of examination conducted on a cutting of swab stick.
He said: “A letter of request from an IPO Abuja requesting for an analysis to be done on a sample brought and the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Benedict Agbo, which I work directly with, minutes to it.
“The request was to identify the substance on the cutting of the swab stick and the analysis was done and a report was issued.”
Asked why the ACP that signed the report was not in court to tender it, the witness said “Agbo is in Ghana for an official assignment.”
However, counsels to the 1st defendant, Yusuf Ali SAN and K. K. Eleja SAN; Muritala AbduRasheed SAN, who represented the 2nd, 4th and 5th; Rowland Otaru SAN, who represented the 3rd and 6th; and Okon Ita who represented the 7th defendant, allowed the witness to go without cross examination.
The counsels said having looked at evidence before the court and thorough look at the charges, thereby prayed the court to grant them adjournment for 24 hours to enable them file a no case submission address.
The Chief Judge of Osun, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo, thereby adjourned to Friday, March 25, for adoption of written address of counsels and the reply of the prosecution.
