The health condition of the defendant Magdalene Chiefuna on Monday stalled the proceeding of the murder charge against the owner of Hilton Royal Hotel, Ile-Ife, Abdulramon Adedoyin, and six others at an Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo.
At the resumed hearing, Chiefuna suddenly developed a strange health condition which made the Chief Judge, Justice Adepele Ojo, stop the hearing pending the resolution of the circumstance.
At resumption, counsel to Adedoyin, Kehinde Eleja (SAN) told the court that based on the evidence before the court, he would not call any witness in the defence.
However, Counsel to the 2nd, 4th, and 5th defendants, Muritala Abdulrosheed, (SAN) prayed the court for the adjournment of the hearing of the defence.
He particularly based his prayer on the health condition of the second defendant, Magdalene Chiefuna who earlier had a health challenge.
Abdulrosheed also on behalf of Roland Otaru, SAN, who was absent in court, requested for an adjournment for the 3rd and 6th respondents.
Also, in his prayer, Okon Edet Ita, said “the 7th defendant shall in addition to entering her defence call two witnesses. As of today, we are not prepared to go on. Other defendants should have to come before us. We are the last defendant. We call for adjournment in that circumstances”.
Leading the prosecution counsel, Femi Falanat (SAN) said they were not opposed to the application for adjournment and the case was adjourned to Wednesday 25th May 2022.
Earlier, there was a heated argument on the appearance of Abiodun Badiora, the Administrator-General and Public Trustee for Osun State who said the state has the power to take over any criminal case.
But according to Eleja and Abdulrosheed, the case was being prosecuted by the federal and not the state government which should give the fiat to transfer the case.
They said that the state being represented by Badiora was not in the record of the court, therefore, the State Attorney General could not transfer prosecution without first taking over from the police prosecution since the case is between the federal government and the defendants.
They submitted that, on the basis of what was before the court, the matter was better sorted out to know who the defendants are dealing with.
Resolving the matter, the police prosecution counsel, M. O Omosun told the court that Femi Falana, SAN, who later announced his appearance, would be leading in the prosecution based on the fiat given by the Attorney General of Osun State.
Adedoyin and others are facing trial in the alleged killing of Timothy Adegoke, an MBA student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, who was declared missing but later found dead.
The court had admitted in evidence exhibits from witnesses that Timothy Adegoke lodged in Hilton Royal Hotel and his corpse was disrespected by the hotel’s staff before being dumped on a site along Ede road, Ile-Ife.
The presiding judge, Justice Adepele Ojo, had adjourned the hearing for defence after a no-case submission filed by all the defendants’ counsels.
