The family of Timothy Adegoke, an MBA student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State who died mysteriously at Hilton Hotel and Resort on Friday retrieved his corpse for burial.
WITHIN NIGERIA learnt that the elder brother of the deceased, Gbade Adegoke with two clerics came to retrieve the corpse at the hospital morgue.
They drove the corpse out of the premises of the hospital around 12:45 pm.
Gbade Adegoke said the burial for his late brother had been slated for Saturday, 29th January 2022 in Oyo State.
“There won’t be any problem in getting justice for my brother with his burial. Those suspects will surely face the wrath of the law,” he stressed.
The counsel to the family, Barrister Naim Adekilekun, told reporters the suspects arrested in connection with the death of Adegoke should be prosecuted in Osun State and not at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“As we are preparing for the prosecution of the suspects arrested in connection to this murder, we wish to state that it has filtered to us that the Police in Abuja is ready to proffer a charge against the suspects in respect of this case at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“It must be stated here that the family never doubted the competence of the Police to prosecute this case to a logical conclusion. But as the Solicitors to the family, we have our reservation to the prosecution of this case at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.
“It must be stated here that the family never doubted the competence of the Police to prosecute this case to a logical conclusion. But as the Solicitors to the family, we have our reservation to the prosecution of this case at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.
“To start with, in criminal prosecution, the Court in the territorial jurisdiction of the area of the alleged crime will be seized of the case and nothing more, although this may not be the case of some Federal offences triable at the Federal High Court of any judicial Division and the reason for, is not far-fetched this can be traced to the fact that the Law recognizes Federal High Court of Nigeria to be one and single court irrespective of the Division.
“As it stands now, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act is the law that guides the prosecution of crimes at the Federal High Court in Nigeria and other offences punishable in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This law provides the framework for criminal litigation in those Courts where it is applicable.
“We are of the firm view that since none of the elements of the offence to be tried by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory happened or took place in the Federal Capital Territory, we shall be demanding that the case be tried at the High Court of Osun State being the court with the requisite jurisdiction to try the case. There is nothing in Section 93 (1) and (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act that can make the Police act otherwise.”