The Nigeria Police Force is set to re-arraign the owner of Hilton Hotels, Rahmon Adedoyin, and six others over the murder of Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife Osun State.
This comes after Justice Module Adebiyi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, struck out the case against Adegoke and others on Tuesday.
The judge struck out the case following an application for a notice of discontinuance’ of the case pursuant to Section 108 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act ( ACJA) 2015 by the police lawyer, Ochogwu Ogbeh.
Adegoke had lodged at Hilton Hotels and Resorts in Ile-Ife, Osun State upon his arrival from Abuja on November 5, 2021, to enable him to arrive early for his examination at the OAU Distance Learning Centre, Moro, in the state, on November 6 and November 7.
He later went missing and was found dead buried in a grave following an investigation by the police, with the hotel owner, Dr Rahman Adedoyin and its workers arrested as suspects.
Later, the Intelligence Response Team, Abuja, took over the investigation and the case was transferred to the Federal Capital Territory.
Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the police charged the accused persons to a high court in Abuja.
Others charged alongside Adedoyin are Adedeji Adesola, Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwale Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem, Adebayo Adekunle, Prince Raheem Adedoyin, Esther Asigoh and Quadiri Moshood.
Raheem Adedoyin, Esther Asigoh and Quadiri Moshood are still at large.
However, a human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has taken over the case following an invitation by the family to see justice done.
Falana subsequently wrote a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, requesting that the matter be transferred to Osun State which has jurisdiction on the matter.
Granting Falana’s request, the police notified the court that it was discontinuing the matter.
The judge struck out the case, enabling the police to file fresh charges
