Clement Adeyi, Osogbo

Family of erstwhile governor of Osun State, the late Sen. Isiaka Adeleke, has condemned the recent re-arrest and prosecution of Alfred Aderibigbe, the nurse that was alleged to have administered overdose drugs on the  late politician which allegedly led to his death on April 23, 2017.

Recall that Osun State High Court sitting in Ede, Osun State, had remanded Mr Aderibigbe in prison, after he had been arraigned on Friday, June 8 for his involvement in the case.

Dr Deji Adeleke, while addressing newsmen yesterday on behalf of the family in Ede, the country home of the late senator who represented the Osun West in the Senate until his demise, said the family was not behind  the ongoing prosecution of the nurse as being insinuated.

Dr Adeleke expressed worries that since the Osun State Government set up a coroner’s inquest in May 2017 to investigate the sudden death of the late Isiaka Adeleke after which Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara recommended prosecution of the nurse, he (the nurse) had been moving freely, only for him to be rearrested recently, arraigned in court and remanded in prison.

He also lamented that government failed to make the detailed report of the autopsy conducted on the late senator as well as the detailed report of the coroner’s inquest available to the family.

Dr Deji lamented that the current  prosecution of the nurse one year after was an attempt by the Osun State Government to politicise the death of the late politician whom he described as the hero of the Adeleke family.

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He expressed disgust at the prosecution of the nurse at a time that political activities are in full swing in the state ahead of the governorship election billed for September 22.

“The family is concerned about further politicisation of the demise of Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, especially with the timing of this sudden interest in the matter after over a year of inaction on the part of the Osun State Government, more so that the election to change the mantle of leadership is close,” Dr Adeleke said.

“There is also an unfounded news in the social media about the family being behind the sudden rearrest and prosecution of the nurse. This is far from the truth. The family is not involved. There is also a growing suspicion that the recent ‘arrangement’ of the Rauf Aregbesola government is to achieve the ultimate goal of a grand cover up of the truth behind the death of Isiaka Adeleke,” he added.

“The general public is hereby enjoined to help us ask the government why the inaction for over a year? Why the sudden interest in this prosecution a few months to the gubernatorial election? Why the publicity around the arrest and prosecution?”

He, however, assured that as law-abiding citizens, the family would not interfere with the judicial process that had commenced on the matter. He urged the judiciary to bring justice to bear in the case.