The Osun State Government has declared Femi Falana as the only prosecutor in the case of Timothy Adegoke’s murder, an MBA student at Obafemi Awolowo University.
Rahmon Adedoyin, the owner of the Hilton Hotel in Ile-Ife, where Adegoke died, and six other people have been arrested and arraigned for their suspected role in the postgraduate student’s death.
In a statement made available on Sunday by Ismail Omipidan, the Chief Press Secretary to the Osun State Governor and signed by Oluwafemi Akande, the State’s Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, the State government revealed that the office of Femi Falana had already collected the letter conveying the fiat of the Attorney General.
According to the statement, “On 1st April, 2022, Femi Falana, SAN, applied to the Office of the Hon. Attorney General for fiat to take over the prosecution of the case.
“Thereafter, the deceased’s family wrote a letter to the Attorney General requesting for the Chambers of Femi Falana, SAN, to be allowed to prosecute the matter.
“The learned silk’s letter and that of the family were immediately processed and the fiat requested for has since been granted.”
WITHIN NIGERIA recalls that the alleged case of murder was first investigated by Osun State Police Command but was later taken over by the IGP Office in Abuja.
After the investigation, the Police filed criminal charge against the suspects in Abuja and the case was later moved to Osogbo by the Nigeria Police.
While the Police Prosecutors were prosecuting the case, the deceased family’s Counsel, Falana and Falana & Co, held a watching brief for the victim and witnessed the proceedings.
An Ibadan based journalist, Oriyomi Hamzat had called out the Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola not to sacrifice the case on the altar of comradeship and friendship, as there were unsubstantiated rumours that Rahman Adedoyin and the Governor were friends.
Oriyomi had also revealed that there was the need for Governor Oyetola to sign the fiat before the 25th of April in order for the case to continue and justice served for Timothy.