Police narrate how slain OAU PG student’s body was dumped in bush

Afeez Olaniyan, the investigative police officer (IPO) who undertook the first probe of the death of Timothy Adegoke, has narrated how the student’s corpse was evacuated and dumped in the bush.

Adegoke, a master’s student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, was said to have traveled from Abuja to write an exam at the OAUs distance learning centre in Moro, Osun state on November 5.

The student, who had lodged at Hilton Hotel and Resort, Ile-Ife was, however, found dead on November 7.

Olaniyan testified before a court sitting on the alleged murder case and narrated how some defendants arraigned in connection with Adeogoke’s death had swiftly evacuated and dumped his corpse in the bush.

According to PUNCH, Olaniyan spoke at the continuation of the trial on Tuesday about the statements from Adeniyi Aderogba and Oyetunde Kazeem, two staffers of the Hilton Hotels, Ile-Ife.

He said, after Adegoke’s death, his corpse was wrapped with a duvet, and taken out in a Hilux van driven by Roheem Adedoyin, the son of the hotel owner, to where it was dumped.

Olaniyan also said, during the investigation, he was able to establish alteration in the lodging documents, when he interrogated Adesola Adedeji, the receptionist on duty when the deceased lodged in the hotel.

“We were able to establish that late Timothy actually lodged at Hilton Hotel on November 5, 2021. The lifeless body of late Adegoke was discovered on Sunday 7th November, and the corpse was dumped on the refuse site,” he said.

“From the statement made by Adeniyi Aderogba and Oyetunde Kazeem, they told me that the corpse was wrapped with a carton and duvet which they put in a sealed bag.

“[They] carried him at the back of Hilux vehicle driven by Roheem Adedoyin to the point where it was dumped.

“There was doctoring of the hotel documents which the original one was later discovered from Adesola’s phone.

“Circumstances that surrounded the death were highly suspicious and that was why the corpse was deposited for expert opinion to ascertain the cause of the death.”

Olaniyan said when he visited room 305 — where the deceased lodged — its duvet was new unlike those of other rooms.

“I asked why the new mattress. The response was that the hotel was initially known to be Hotel Di Ganga and the taking over necessitated the changes of some of the mattresses,” he added.

“I noticed something like a blood pattern on the door. We decided to lock the room and went away with the key.

“On our next visit to the room, we went with an expert, the crime scene manager, DSP Kilani. He confirmed that some of the patterns were mere paint and he took the one suspected to be blood for further examination.”

Olaniyan also said he observed that the DVR powering the facility’s CCTV cameras was disabled and, when he raised the matter, he was told that it was disabled due to the renovation work being done in the hotel.

Adepele Ojo, the judge, adjourned the case to March 16, when a pathologist will be giving evidence before the court.