Adeleke's sudden death: Aregbesola inaugurates panel of inquiry

Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola has inaugurated a coroner inquiry to look into the circumstances surrounding the death of late Senator Isiaka Adeleke.

The investigation is to be carried out by the Chief Magistrate of the state, Magistrate Olusegun Ayodele Ayilara.

While signing the execution of instrument setting up the inquest, Governor Aregbesola described the constitution of the panel as sine qua non in view of the circumstances that led to Adeleke's death.

Governor Aregbesola who backed the decision taken by the state with different constitutional facts, affirmed that the gesture was in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic.

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.

He said the status of the deceased with the circumstances that surrounded his sudden death, informed the government to constitute such investigative panel.

According to him, "Since Nigerian legal Laws is inherited from the British Laws to which Coronal Laws were inclusive, hence, it is pertinent for our administration to apply this to enhance our inquest into the circumstances of the death of late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke.

"These laws gave us the power to investigate any unexplained, sudden, unnatural or violent death of any personality to which the circumstances surrounded such death is questionable.

"Also, Cap 32, Volume I laws of Osun under Section 3, Sub-section 2 of the Coronal Laws prompted the state to forge ahead with this decision.

"And as a matter of fact, the sudden death of Senator Adeleke is a befitting one to set up this inquest into the circumstances that led to his death.

"As we all know that late Senator Isiaka Adeleke died a sudden death to which the cause was unknown. The sudden of his death, the huge circumstances of his death and his status led us to apply the instrumentality of law to carry out the cause of his death.

"This action has been established since about one thousand years ago in England to which Nigerian Constitution was derived as this emphasises on the need to carry out investigation into the sudden death of any personality considered so.

"For this, history will not be kind to us if we failed to do this not only because of the personality that was involved but because of the unknown circumstances that led to his death", he added

Charging the Chief Magistrate who was saddled with the responsibility of unravelling the matter, Governor Aregbesola said the panel must do the needful in finding out facts about the death of the late Senator

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Osun 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, Mrs Adewemimo said the circumstances that trailed Adeleke's death necessitates the setting up of the panel of inquiry.

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" She added.