The Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Adepele Ojo, has fixed judgment in the murder case of Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, for next week.
As reported by The Guardian, it was gathered that judgment on the case, involving the owner of Hilton Honors Hotel, Ile-Ife, Rahmon Adedoyin, would be delivered on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in the State High Court, sitting in Osogbo.
Adedoyin and six of his hotel workers namely: Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwole Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem, Adebayo Kunle, and Adedeji Adesola, are standing trial over the death of Adegoke.
The judge had as at the last sitting in April received the final written and counter addresses from parties.
Counsel to the defendants, including Yusuf Ali, Rowland Otaru, and Murtala Abdulrasheed, in their separate applications, had asked the court to void the appearances, applications, and legal activities of the prosecuting counsel, Femi Falana, for allegedly lacking locus standi to prosecute the matter.
They urged the court to declare unconstitutional the appearances, applications, and entire proceedings that Falana, Funmi Falana, and Fatima Adesina conducted for failing to show proof that they were prosecuting with the approval of the Attorney General (AG) of Osun State and Commissioner of Justice.
Falana had argued that he obtained a fiat of the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of Osun State to prosecute the matter. He said that Osun AG had sent three lawyers to the court on April 25, 2022, and handed the prosecution of the matter to him and wondered what the defense lawyers stand to achieve by making the applications
In its own version, The Hope reports that it reliably learned from court officials that the Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Adepele Ojo, is expected to deliver the judgment.
Reports said that the verdict would be delivered at exactly 9 am on Tuesday, May 30 at the State High Court 1 sitting in Osogbo.
The defendants had been remanded in prison since their first arraignment in February 2022 and had been attending their trial from custody.
In their separate final written addresses, the defense counsels had prayed the court to discharge and acquit the defendants on murder and other allegations charged against them, saying that the prosecution had not proved beyond reasonable doubt that their clients were guilty as charged.
The prosecuting team had also urged the court to ensure that justice is done on the matter.
The Guardian / The Hope
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