The Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, on Tuesday night signed an executive order setting up a coroner inquest into the sudden death of Senator Isiaka Adeleke under the Coroner Law Cap 32 Vol I Law of Osun 2002.
The governor also appointed Mr. Olusegun Ayodele, a magistrate, as the head of the inquest.
He directed that the inquest be carried out in Osogbo within the next three weeks.
According to Aregbesola, the inquest became necessary because of the suddenness and the circumstances surrounding the death of the senator and the first civilian governor of the state.
The governor stated that a coroner inquest is a long established procedure dating back to the eighth century and is generally applied in the interest of the community to investigate sudden, natural and inexplicable death of a person.
“A sudden and an unexplained death of a person of high status must be investigated and documented.
“Therefore, the status of our brother, late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, the suddenness and the circumstances of his death will propel a responsible government to set up an inquest to unravel the circumstances of his death.
“History will not be kind to us as a government if we fail to do the inquest into the circumstances surrounding his death.
“We must do this for historical purposes because it is in the general interest of the community and state to investigate any sudden or unnatural death of this nature,” Aregbesola said.
Speaking earlier, the Solicitor General of the state and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Abiola Adewemimo, stated that the circumstances and the suddenness of Adeleke’s death necessitate the setting up of the Coroner inquest by the governor.
She added that the setting up of the Coroner inquest by the governor would ascertain the cause of death of the deceased, adding that the governor by virtue of the Coroner Law is empowered to order such inquest in this present circumstance.
According to her, “The entire state is still reeling in shock at the sudden demise of our dear “Serubawon”, late Senator Isiaka Adeleke.
“The circumstance and the suddenness of Adeleke’s death calls for the setting up of an inquest to ascertain the cause of his death in the interest of our state.”
