Adesola Adedeji, one of the defendants standing trial before the Osun High Court sitting in Osogbo, the state capital, over alleged murder of a postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Timothy Adegoke, says she never conspired with anyone to fabricate evidence in the ongoing trial.
Adedeji said she was called to the house of the owner of Hilton Hotels in Ile-Ife, Rahman Adedoyin, where she was given a new receipt number 7316 for reasons not known to her by her supervisor, after some errors were said to have been discovered in the sales account.
She said the new receipt was later handed over to her to sign, which according to her, was as well handed over to the Investigation Police Officer in the Criminal Investigation Department handling the case.
Adedeji said this in her defence before the court on Friday.
She said: “I was given another receipt with a name, Lekan Olawale, with the same number 7316 by Adedoyin on the excuse that the receipt I initially prepared could not be found.
“I tried to let him know the implication of the receipt but Adedoyin said he was my boss and would not lie to me and I have to sign it.
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“I put it inside my bag and went to the hotel where I was arrested for murder of Adegoke and my bag was also collected from me.
“I was never told that the reason was to cover up for a crime or not, but I thought it was to ensure that my account was balanced,” Adedeji stated.
She further told the court that the account presented to her by the IPO was different from what she earlier prepared.
“The police officer showed me an account prepared with 15 rooms at the station, which was different from the one I prepared myself, having 16 rooms which I gave to the auditor, before I left the hotel.
“I snapped the sales account on my phone that same day having 16 rooms, with the name of Timothy Adegoke included.
“I never conspired to tamper with the evidence of the court and I never killed one Timothy Adegoke,” she said.
While being crossed-examined, Adedeji said: “I handed over the sales account to the Hotel Auditor, Mr Kunle Adebayo and it was well checked before I left the hotel.”
Adededji, however, said she never had interaction with Adegoke when he checked into the hotel.
“He did not come down from his Room 305 and did not call the receptionist’s line before I left the hotel.
“I also received some payment from other guests into my account, apart from that of Timothy Adegoke,” she added.
The presiding judge, Justice Adepele Ojo, therefore, adjourned further hearing in the case till February 2, 2023.
Justice Ojo said the adjournment was granted to enable the principal defendant, Adedoyin, to call his witnesses in defence of the charges against him.
Ojo, however, informed Kehinde Eleja, SAN, counsel to Adedoyin, to ensure that his client come to court with his witnesses for defence or informed the court of any update before the next date of adjournment.
Adedoyin and six other defendants are standing trial before the court over the alleged murder of the OAU student.
Other defendants are Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwole Florence, Oyetunde Kazeem, Adebayo Kunle, and Adedeji Adesola.
The defendants had earlier pleaded not guilty to the 11-count charge, bordering on conspiracy, murder, attempted felony, unlawful interference with a dead body, altering and intent to destroy evidence.
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