Police arrest hotelier over OAU Post-graduate student’s death

The Osun Police Command says it has arrested the proprietor of a popular Hotel and Resort in Ile-Ife (nameswitheld) over the death of a Masters Degree student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

A statement by the Osun Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Yemisi Opalola, in Osogbo, said the suspect was arrested on Monday, and now undergoing interrogation.

Opalola said the hotelier was the latest suspect arrested in connection with the incident, adding that six people had earlier been arrested.

“They were arrested in respect of the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Timothy Adegoke, a Masters Degree student of OAU, who came from Abuja to sit for his examination at the OAU Distance Learning Centre, Moro, Osun,” he said.

According to him, the Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode, wishes to update the general public that, in addition to the six suspects earlier arrested, the hotelier was also arrested on Nov.15.

“He is currently in police detention, undergoing interrogation in connection with the case, while awaiting the autopsy report from the hospital,” Opalola said.

He thanked members of the public, especially the bereaved family, students and management of OAU for their patience by allowing the police to continue on a thorough investigation on the matter

“The CP reiterates the commitment of the state police command to ensure that justice is done, no matter the personality of the person(s) involved in the case or how highly or lowly placed in the society, if found culpable.

“Meanwhile, further update on the case will be made public as event unfolds,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adegoke, an Abuja-based student, had travelled to Ife on Nov. 5 to sit for an examination at OAU Distance Learning Centre in Moro, Osun State, after which he was declared missing when friends and family members could not reach him.

It was further learnt that the deceased had lodged at a hotel in Ile-Ife, a number of times between Oct. 22 and Nov. 5, when he was declared missing.

His dead body was later found by the police.

Meanwhile, the Management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, has commiserated with the family of the deceased, who was the the institution’s Executive Master in Business Administration (MBA) programme.

A statement by the university Public Relations Office, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, said that the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, described the incident as sad and unfortunate.

Olanrewaju said that Ogunbode appreciated the prompt action and painstaking investigation of the Osun State Command of the Nigerian Police, which eventually led to the discovery of Adegoke’s corpse.

The statement read partly, “While sympathising with the family, we recognised the tenacity and doggedness of the late Mr Adegoke’s wife, which assisted, in no small measures, in unravelling the circumstances of her husband’s movement in Ile-Ife.

“The vice-chancellor pledged the commitment of the university’s administration to work with the law enforcement agents to unravel the circumstances leading to the death of Mr Adegoke.

“He charged the widow, children, family, friends, colleagues and associates to take solace in the fact Mr Adegoke left positive footprints and impacted numerous lives, and that ‘death is a necessary end that will come when it will come.

“Ogunbodede prayed for the repose of the soul of Mr Adegoke and that God should grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”(NAN)