By VICTOR ADEOTI

Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun has said that the government has no plans to grant state pardon to Dr Rahman Adedoyin, who was sentenced to death for murder of Timothy Adegoke.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Osun High Court of Justice sitting in Osogbo had on May 30 sentenced Adedoyin, owner of Hilton Hotels, to death by hanging for the murder of Adegoke, a postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.

A statement issued on Monday in Osogbo by Malam Olawale Rasheed, the governor’s media aide, denied reports on social media that Adeleke was plotting to subvert the judgement by granting state pardon to Adedoyin.

The statement quoted the governor as saying that his administration had never and would never subvert justice.

It said those behind the fake news were enemies of the public.

“Those who concocted the fake news are evil minded political operatives, who are merely grasping at straws in their desperation to blackmail the state governor.

“Governor Adeleke has not and will never contemplate exercising the prerogative of mercy or whatever the report calls it, on a matter under adjudication, which has generated deep interest among local and global communities.

“It is important to clarify that neither the governor nor his political party has any hidden plot on the said murder case other than a public interest agenda to see culprits in the dastardly act face the full wrath of the law.

“That explains why no PDP member was involved as counsel for any of the convicted individuals and why the state judiciary enjoys and exercises its full independence in the hearing and judgement of the case.

“It is uncharitable for political enemies and their paid agents to attempt any link between the convicted businessman and the governor.

“We affirm with all sense of responsibility that Gov. Adeleke was not at any material time a friend or partner of the owner of Oduduwa University and did not interfere, intervene or manifest any untoward agenda in the arraignment, hearing and sentencing of the accused,” Rasheed said.

He therefore urged the members of the public to ignore the rumors of Gov. Adeleke granting a state pardon to the convict and the watery push to link service records of a state judicial official to a popular verdict on the gruesome murder of a postgraduate student.

“Those peddling such lies are agents of darkness acting on behalf of disgruntled, dark political elements. They are better ignored.

“We convey appreciation to men and women of goodwill who have put up spirited defense for the governor in the face of this orchestrated falsehood.

“The undiluted truth is that neither the state government nor the state governor is interested in the subversion of the wheel of justice,” Rasheed said. (NAN)

Update news