[BREAKING] OAU Student: Heavy Security As Adedoyin, Six Others Appear Before Court

On Thursday, there was a heavy security presence at the entrance to the Osun State High Court as Dr Ramon Adedoyin, the owner of Hiltons Hotel in Ile-Ife, and six others arrested in connection with the death of Timothy Adegoke, a Masters student at Obafemi Awolowo University, appeared before the court.

The defendants were scheduled to appear before court 1, which would be presided over by Adepele Ojo, the Chief Judge of Osun State.

Adedoyin, as well as Adedeji Adesola, Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwale Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem, and Adebayo Kunle, had previously been charged with conspiracy, unlawful interference with a dead body, altering and intent to destroy evidence, and murder before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

However, Femi Falana, SAN, counsel for the deceased’s family, wrote to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, requesting that the case be restored to Osun state, where the crime was allegedly committed.

The prosecutor abandoned the case when he returned to court on February 7.

The front gate of the High Court premises was manned by many highly armed officers and some plainclothes security men, presumed to be State Security Service operatives, in anticipation of the multitude that may flood the court to attend the trial.

Before being allowed inside the premises, visitors were subjected to a rigorous search and need to identify themselves.

Lawyers, journalists, and others entering the courtroom were subjected to searches by plainclothes police officers and court protocol officers before being permitted in.

Around 8:47 a.m., the seven defendants, led by Adedoyin in a white kaftan, entered the courtroom.

Drama as police arrest three men in court

Three men that had wanted to enter the premises of court were arrested by the police.

The men drove to the gate in an unregistered Nissan Micra car and were subjected to search when incriminating items were reportedly found on them.

The men were later whisked away in a police van towards Dugbe Divisional Police Station, Osogbo.

Osun Police Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, could not be reached for comment, but a security source, who preferred anonymity, told our correspondent that a knife was found in one of the bags carried by the men.