Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Adepele Ojo, yesterday, said judgment in the murder trial of Timothy Adegoke, the slain postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, would be delivered in May 2023.
The judge disclosed this after parties in the matter availed the court of their final written and counter addresses. The owner of Hilton Honors Hotel, Ile-Ife, Rahmon Adedoyin and six of his hotel workers, including Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwole Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem, Adebayo Kunle and Adedeji Adesola, are standing trial for the death of Adegoke.
During yesterday’s proceeding slated for the adoption of written addresses, the Chief Judge noted that she received fresh applications from counsel to the defendants.
The legal team, including Yusuf Ali, Rowland Otaru and Murtala Abdulrasheed, in their separate applications, asked the court to declare null and void the appearances, applications and other 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 and his team partook for failing to show proof that they are prosecuting with the approval of the Osun State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice.
Falana had argued that he obtained a fiat of the Osun State Attorney General (AG) and Commissioner of Justice to prosecute the matter. He stressed 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 defence counsel stand to achieve by making the applications.
After citing several cases and authorities to back his arguments, Falana urged the court to discountenance the defendants’ applications, as they lacked the locus standi to make such prayers.
He prayed the court to ensure that justice is served in the murder of Adegoke.
Adopting their separate final written addresses, the defence team, prayed the court to discharge and acquit the defendants on murder and other allegations charged against them, saying that the prosecution has not proved beyond reasonable doubt that their clients were guilty as charged.
After taking submissions from the prosecutor and defence counsel, Justice Ojo said the ruling on the fresh applications and judgment on the matter would be given on a May date to be communicated to the parties.
