Governor of Osun state Rauf Aregbesola has set up a coroner inquest into the death of the first civilian governor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adeleke.
The governor while signing the documents establishing the exercise said the sudden passage of the late politician, his status and the circumstances surrounding the incident informed the decision of the state government to investigate it.
The coroner inquest according to the Governor will not only unravel the cause of his death, but, also lay to rest the controversy that trailed it.
Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara will hold the coroner inquest which is expected to be concluded within three weeks.
He said ” the suddenness of his death, the huge confusion that accompanied it, its circumstances and his status made it very important for our government to put in place an inquest using the instrumentality of the law with a view to determining the cause of the death and putting same on record for historical purposes and with a to possibly safeguard any other death in similar circumstance”.
He said the Coronal laws of British Government to which Nigerian Constitution was formulated is highly in support of beaming a searchlight into any sudden, unnatural, unexplained or violent death in any society.
Aregbesola said since every sudden or unexplained death must be investigated, thus, there is the need for the state to deplore whatever means within the armpit of the constitution to unravel the cause(s) of the late Adeleke’s death.
Earlier, the solicitor-general and Permanent Secretary, in the state Ministry of Justice, Mrs Abimbola Adewemimo who described the initiative as right step in the right direction, said the action was necessary to uncover the hidden facts on the deceased death.
Shedding light on the legality of the state’s resolve, the Mrs Adewemimo said the circumstances that trailed Adeleke’s death necessitates the setting up of the panel of enquiry.
According to her, “by the virtue of Coronal laws, government has the rights to launch such inquest into Adeleke’s sudden death. This Inquest panel can be headed by a Magistrate.
“This law gives room to explore all avenue to ascertain the cause of any death in the interest of the people in the society, state or nation at large”
The Adeleke family had earlier conducted an autopsy on the deceased before he was buried, the result of which is still being awaited.
Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke died on April the 23rd at the age 62 and has since been buried according to Islamic rites.
