BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kunle Adegoke, one of the counsels for the seven defendants facing trial at an Osogbo High Court in connection with the alleged murder of Timothy Adegoke, an MBA student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, at Hiltons Hotel.
The proprietor of the hotel, Ramon Adedoyin, was arraigned alongside a lady, Adedeji Adesola, Miss Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwale Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem and Adebayo Kunle before the Osun State Chief Judge, Mrs Adepele Ojo of Court 1.
Addressing journalists after the court proceedings on Thursday, Adegoke said all the defendants were suffering from debilitating ailments and that he had prayed the court to consider them for bail based on health ground.
He said, “The defendants were arraigned and they all pleaded not guilty to the charges read against them. Today, we brought applications on behalf of the defendants to the effect that it will be good and in the interest of justice, in so far as their presumption of innocence accorded the defendants by the constitution, that the court should admit them to bail. And the ground for application of bail is fundamentally on the state of health of the defendants.
“The prosecution did not testify to the effect that the defendants were hale and hearty. There is patent admition to the effect that all of them arraigned today are suffering form one debilitating ailments or the other and to which there are medical reports from government certified hospital. And that is one requirement placed on ground by the law in Nigeria for granting bail. We have moved application for bail for six, out of the seven defendants and the court is going to consider the application to decide whether to grant bail or otherwise. She was just added to the list of prosecution. Charges were brought yesterday against her.
“We are fully prepared for the trial. We have looked at prove of evidence before the court. We have interviwed all individuals involved. We thank his lordship (Ojo) for the promise to take the case speedily so that it could be determined between the shortest possible time. It’s going to be a record in honour of the Osun State High Court if the case is decided promptly,” he said.
The case was adjourned till tomorrow for further application of bail for the seventh defendant.
