The family of the late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke has denied being behind the re-arrest and prosecution of a nurse, Mr. Alfred Aderibigbe, who allegedly administered overdose drugs on the late lawmaker.
Addressing reporters yesterday in Ede, the younger brother of the deceased, Dr. Deji Adeleke, a member of the family, Mr. Dele Adeleke, warned the state government to stop politicising the death of their brother.
The family said the re-arrest and prosecution of Aderibigbe was the government’s attempt to achieve the “ultimate goal of grand cover-up of the truth behind the death of Adeleke”.
The family was apparently reacting to the verdict of the State High Court, sitting in Ede, which ordered, on June 8, that the nurse be remanded in prison custody after the coroner’s inquest, led by Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara, indicted him over Adeleke’s death.
The Adeleke family said: “The attention of the Adeleke family has been drawn to the recent publication of the sudden re-arrest and prosecution of the nurse who was involved in the treatment of our dearly beloved brother and hero, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, who sadly passed away on April 23, 2017.
“We are all aware that the Osun State government set up a Coroner’s inquest, which sat from May 8, 2017 and recommended the prosecution of Mr. Alfred Aderibigbe, who was the nurse alleged to have administered drugs on Senator Isiaka Adeleke.
“The nurse has been roaming the streets freely and undisturbed. The government did not consider it necessary or important to make available to the family the detailed report of the autopsy conducted on our late brother as well as the detailed report of the coroner’s inquest. We have had to resort to getting information from the media, just like every other members of the public, as if we are not a related party.
“The family is concerned about the further politicisation of demise of Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, especially with the timing of the sudden interest in the matter, after over a year of inaction on the part of Osun State government; more so that elections to change the mantle of leadership of the state is so close.
“There is also a growing suspicion that the recent ‘arrangement’ of the state government is to achieve the ultimate goal of grand cover-up of the truth behind the death of Alhaji Isiaka.
“The public is hereby enjoined to help us ask the government: why the inaction for over a year? Why the publicity around the arrest and prosecution? The public is hereby put on notice to be vigilant of the manipulative moves of this …administration.
“As law-abiding citizens, the family cannot interfere with the judicial process that has recently commended, but we do sincerely pray that the judiciary, the last hope of the common man and only hope for justice for the deceased, will rise to its noble calling to serve justice without fear or favour. We will be sending the family’s lawyer to observe the proceedings in court as they progress.
“We thank the good people of Osun State for their tremendous love and support to the family since the sudden and still very painful passing of our dearly beloved brother and hero of the family and hero of the masses, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, may the Almighty grant him eternal rest in Al-Janat Frida’os.”
