Adeleke’s Death: Coroner Threatens Arrest of DPO, Homicide Officer for Shunning Sitting

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
The coroner inquest set up to uncover the circumstances surrounding  the death of Senator Isiaka Adeleke Tuesday threatened to issue bench warrant on the Divisional Police Officer of Dugbe Police station, Osogbo, Osun State, and the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of homicide for shunning the sitting and refusing to testify.

The Coroner, Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara, had earlier ordered for the summon of the state Commissioner of Police which a representative was present on May 10, 2017, before the case was adjourned to  May 15, 2017.

However, there was no representative from the side of commissioner of police during the proceeding last Monday as the court took five witnesses.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Biket Hospital, Dr. Adebisi Adenle; Chairman Osun West Senatorial District of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Amobi Akintola; Executive Secretary of Ede South, Hon. Johnson Ojo; Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titilaoye Tomori, and the Chief Medical Director of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Prof. Akeem Lasisi, had last Monday testified before the coroner panel.

The sitting was adjourned to yesterday by the coroner, Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara

During the testimony of the five witness, several name were mentioned while the Division Police Officer of Dugbe Police Station, Osogbo; OC Homicide, one Lasun Olaniyi of Iwo Community; Lukuman and one Engineer, Oni Alfred Aderibigbe were summoned.

At the sitting last Monday, the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital CMD, Prof. Akeem Lasisi, had testified that the empty ampoules of injections brought by the family member based on his request to know the medical history of the deceased shows that the late senator was given overdose banned injections.

Lasisi added: “The DPO of Dugbe Police Station, OC Homicide and the pathologist have in their care the empty ampoules of injection administered to late Adeleke and they took pictures of them.”

The CMD also told the court that the DPO and OC Homicide are with the pathologists when autopsy exercise was being carried on the deceased.

However, at the proceeding yesterday, the OC legal of Osogbo Police Command, Mr. Abass Aruna, who represented the Commissioner of Police, informed the court that the CP was unable to appear in person due to vital official assignment.

According to him, “We are not aware that the coroner had started sitting because we were on official assignment in Abuja and we came last Sunday.

“Truly, we are not aware that the court had been sitting but now that we are aware, we assure the court that tomorrow (today) the officer concerned would come to testify to what they know regarding the issue we are been called upon,” Aruna assured.

While responding, the Magistrate, Ayilara, who frowned at what he described as insensitivity to court order, threatened to issue a bench warrant against the personalities expected to testify on the matter.

“The OC Homicide and DPO are expected tomorrow (today). They need to come and I want to say this that nobody is on trial here. This is not a criminal proceeding. I am not going to stop anybody from going back to his or her house and I won’t force anybody to say what he doesn’t want to say,” he stated.