Adeleke : Coroner threatens Arrest of DPO, OC Homicide over non-appearance
The Coroner Inquest set up by the Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, to uncover the circumstances surrounding the death of late Senator Isiaka Adeleke on Tuesday threatened to issue bench warrant against the Divisional Police Officer of Dugbe Police station, Osogbo and the OC Homicide for shunning the sitting.
The Coroner, Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara had earlier ordered for the summon of the Commissioner of Police and a representative was present on 10th, May 2017 before the case was adjourned to 15th May 2017.
However, there was no representative from the side of Commissioner of Police during the proceeding on Monday as the court took five witnesses.
Speaking at the proceeding on Tuesday, the OC legal of Osogbo Police Command, Mr. Abass Aruna who represented the Commissioner of Police informed the court that the CP was unable to appear in person due to vital official assignment.
According to him, "We are not aware that the coroner has been sitting because we were on official assignment to Abuja and we came on Sunday.
"Truly, we are not aware that the court had been sitting but now that we are aware, we assure the court that tomorrow, the officer concerned would come to testify to what they know as regards the issue we are been called upon." Aruna assured.
While responding, the coroner, Magistrate Ayilara who frowned at what he described as insensitivity to court order, threatened to issue bench warrant against any personalities who fail to appear before the panel.
"The OC homicide and DPO are expected tomorrow. They need to come and I want to say this that nobody is on trail here. This is not a criminal proceeding. I am not going to stop anybody from going back to his or her house and I won't force anybody to say what he doesn't want to say.
"We need facts from police officers, medical doctors and other relevant bodies involved at the autopsy exercise, most importantly the DPO of Dugbe police Station and OC Homicide.
"By the virtue of the coroner's law, everyone involves in this exercise must appear to give testimony. And as such, I need the police officer and others to be able to explain to the court that they identified the corpse, that is what we need.
"We don't need forensic man. We have a pathologist from LAUTECH and as such, that will be enough for us.
"So, for this reason, failure to appear before this coroner inquest panel would be interpreted otherwise because if they don't come, I will assume that they are deliberately frustrating our efforts.
"We are constrained and we have limited time of three weeks and this is the second week, we want to take all evidence by the end of this week so that I can use the last week to put things together.
"We issued the summon yesterday and they have 48hours to answer, that is why I will fix tomorrow for them.
"As a matter of fact, if the necessary parties are not here tomorrow, we will issue bench warrant against them." Magistrate Ayilara affirmed.
He thereby adjourned the case till 17th of May, 2017 for further inquiry.