News

Why Adeleke Family Shunned Aregbesola’s Coroner Inquest

Published

8 years ago

May 12, 2017

BODWEY

By Olabode Abolaji

Fresh facts have emerged on the reason why the family of the first Civilian Governor of Osun State, Senator Isiaka Adeleke rejected the coroner inquest set up by Governor Rauf Aregbesola to probe the death of the late Asiwaju of Edeland.

There was insinuation that Adeleke was killed because of his 2018 governorship ambition which many believed was not supported by Aregbesola and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

While the family did not accuse anybody of killing their beloved brother, it is still in shock on the death of the senator who was representing Osun West Senatorial District.

The bereaved family was particularly worried on how Adeleke ‘could just die cheaply’.

CityMirrorNews learnt that the Adeleke’s family might be embittered with the state government on the way it handled the Adeleke’s death, particularly after his burial.

It was gathered that there might be two reasons for the rejection of the coroner inquest by the Adeleke family, according to political analysts.

The first reason was that the family felt insulted and mocked on the OgbeniTillDayBreak programme held by the state government on Friday May 5, 12 days after Adeleke’s death.

OgbeniTillDayBreak is an interactive programme with Aregbesola and other government officials where questions about governance of the state would be asked by members of the public. The programme was held last in 2013 before that of the last Friday.

According to a political analyst, Mr Jimoh Olawoyin, the conduct of Aregbesola who sang political songs and danced happily as usual, might have infuriated the Adeleke family because the governor and the state were supposed to still be mourning Adeleke, who is a former governor of the state.

: Governor Aregbesola With His Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori and the Iyaloja General of the State, Alhaja Awawu Asindemade at the OgbeniTillDayBreak Programme (file photo)

Olawoyin said there was nothing that called for such social and party-like programme, saying that it should have been shifted in honour of the departed Adeleke.

He added that if at all there was urgency in the programme, it should have been done in a sober mood with enough respect to the departed soul of Adeleke.

Olawoyin submitted that it amounted to mischief, disrespect, unconcerned, mocking and dancing on the grave of Adeleke for Aregbesola who claimed to be mourning the late senator to be dancing and laughing uncontrollably at the OgbeniTillDayBreak.

The political analyst said that the singular act could make the Adeleke family to reject any inquiry into the cause of the senator’s death.

However, the second possible reason for the rejection of the coroner is that the Adeleke family might not want the cause of his death be known to the public.

It was earlier speculated that Adeleke was given two dozes of Intravenous Ingestion which possibly led to his death.

To ascertain the cause of the death, Adeleke’s corpse was taken for pathological examination at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.

The result of the autopsy is exclusively the right of the Adeleke family to make it public or not because the hospital is bound to release it to only the family.

CityMirrorNews learnt that the family might not want the autopsy result to be made public to avoid embarrassment, especially when the report confirms the speculations on the two dozes of intravenous injections taken by Adeleke before his death.

The coroner headed by Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara by virtue of the law setting up the coroner would have access to the autopsy report and by implication, it becomes a public document.

The Adeleke family refused to appear before the coroner on Wednesday while the Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mr. Fimihan Adeoye; Executive Director of Biket Hospital, Dr. Adebisi Adenle, Executive Secretary, Ede South Local Government, Mr. Johnson Ojo, were present at the sitting.

Speaking on behalf of the family at a press conference held on Sunday this week, Dr Deji Adeleke, who is the immediate brother to the deceased, said the coroner inquest was aimed at serving political interest.

He questioned the hurriedness of the state government on the coroner inquest when the report of autopsy ordered by the Adeleke Family was yet to be delivered.

According to him, the family has resolved not to participate nor cooperate with the panel which he said was clearly set up to establish self serving facts.

He warned the medical team conducting the autopsy not to release the result to anyone except the family to avoid sanctions of the law.