3rd May, 2017
Gov. Rauf Aregbesola, on Tuesday, signed an executive order setting up a coroner inquest into the death of Sen. Isiaka Adeleke.
The governor, while signing the executive order in Osogbo, also appointed Mr Olusegun Ayodele, a Magistrate, as the head of the inquest.
Aregbesola, also directed that the inquest is carried out in Osogbo within three weeks.
The governor said inquest became necessary because of the suddenness and the circumstances surrounding the death of the Senator.
According to him, 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 the sudden and unexplained 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 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.
Earlier in his speech, the State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Abiola Adewemimo, noted that the circumstances and the suddenness of Adeleke’s death necessitated the setting up of the Coroner inquest by the governor.
She added that the inquest 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.
Adeleke, who was the first civilian governor of the state, died on April 23 and buried on April 24.
Before his death, he was representing Osun West Senatorial District at the Senate under the platform of All Progressives Congress.