The Nigeria Police Force’s headquarters, Abuja, has taken over the case of slain Timothy Adegoke, a Master’s degree student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, whose death allegedly occured at Hilton Hotel and Resorts owned by Dr Ramon Adedoyin.
Information gathered on Friday night revealed that the Force headquarters has ordered immediate transfer of all necessary documents including the suspects.
Adedoyin and six other suspects have been in police custody since last week with police waiting for the results of autopsy carried out on the body of Adegoke by UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital.
It was also gathered that some individuals are pressing for the case to be transferred to Abuja.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Yemisi Opalola, simply said, “I’m not aware of such.”
However, a source close to the police command, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday, told the PUNCH that a signal had been received from the Force Headquarters, asking that the matter be transferred.
Sequel to the order, the source said the suspects would be moved to Abuja any moment upon completion of necessary documentation.
The source said, “The command is not hiding anything. But we have been directed to transfer the matter and after necessary documentation is completed, the suspects will be moved to Abuja.”
In his reaction, Naim Adekilekun, the counsel to the Adegoke family, said he was told that Force Headquarters had taken over the investigation into the matter.
Adekilekun however demanded that the matter must be returned to Osun State Police command for its investigators to complete the probe into the death. He said, “I have been informed. But we don’t want the case transferred. It has to be transferred back.”
Meanwhile, counsel to Adedoyin, Mr Abiodun Williams, in his reaction to the development, said his client was innocent.
He said, “We are not bothered. Let the case be taken to anywhere. Chief Adedoyin is 101 per cent innocent. The officers in Abuja cannot do anything better than what Osun State Command had diligently done.”
