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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
An Environmental Health Officer with Osun State Government, Adejumo Adebowale, yesterday, told the court that the late Timothy Adegoke, a Masters student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, who he referred to as ‘pauper’ in his evidence, was found with rope tied round his body where he was dumped.
Led in evidence by the prosecutor, M. O. Omosun, the witness, who was the seventh witness, gave evidence before the Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo, in Osogbo.
He said he received a call from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), More, Ile-Ife, informing him of the dead pauper, along Ede road, Ile-Ife, and a directive by the Chairman, Ife Central Local Government, Hon Jacob Olayera, to bury the deceased.
“I tried to confirm from the chairman but I was unable to see him till the closing hour of November 8, 2021. On November 9, I called the chairman to confirm if the DPO called him and he said he was informed.”
He explained further that he received a letter addressed to the chairman of the local government and copied the police area command, Ife.
He said after eight officers had worked on the letter, “the approval was later given to me by the management of Ife Central local government to remove and bury the pauper.
“A sum of N20,000 was approved by the local government to hire casual labour. We proceeded to the place where the DPO described to us that the pauper was found.
We took a photograph of how we met the pauper and we discovered that he was in a complete state of decay. We were unable to move the corpse from the place where it was found.
“We decided to dig a grave beside the corpse at the setback of the road and we fumigated the surroundings before, during and after the burial process around 2:00am.
“I sent the soft copy of the pictures taken during the process of the burial to the WhatsApp number of the chairman and it was acknowledged by the chairman. I didn’t hear anything about the pauper again until November 25, 2021, when I was called by the DPO, More police station, to come and meet officers from the state police headquarters in respect of the burial.”
The witness, who was cross-examined by counsel to the defendants, K. K. Eleja SAN, Muritala AbduRasheed SAN, Rowland Otaru SAN and Okon Ita, told the court that the deceased was packed in a carton and the rope found on him was used to carry him because it was heavy and decayed.
When asked to identify one of the photographs tendered and admitted in exhibit, the witness agreed that two people dragged the deceased with the ropes.
Justice Ojo, however, adjourned the matter to March 21, for further hearing.
