On Monday, a federal high court sitting in Osogbo, adjourned till March 25, the trial of the alleged murder of a post-graduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Timothy Adegoke.

At the resumed hearing, the presiding judge and Chief Justice of Osun State High Court, Adepele Ojo, granted the defence counsel’s request to move its no-case submission.

Mr Ojo, however, asked the prosecution counsel, M. Omosun, to swiftly respond to all the defence counsel’s written and oral addresses in their no-case submission within four days of receipt of the same.

While adjourning the case, the judge ordered all four of the defence counsel to file a separate no-case submission each, within the stipulated time.

Chairman of Hilton Hotel, Ile-Ife, Rahmon Adedoyin, and six others are on trial for the alleged murder of Mr Adegoke.

The six 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.

The case file number: HOS/5C/2022, dated February 14 and filed on February 17, had earlier been substituted with HOS/5C/ 2022, dated February 22, and filed on March 2.

The defence counsel had objected to the admissibility of a report tendered by the prosecution counsel.

The counsel, Kehinde Eleja, Murtala Abdulrasheed, Roland Otaru and Okoh Itah, have adopted the no-case submission.

The defence counsel also prayed the court grant 48 hours to respond to the prosecution’s report.

(NAN)