Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has officially denied the circulating reports claiming that his government intends to grant a state pardon to Dr Rahman Adedoyin, who was sentenced to death for the murder of Timothy Adegoke. The denial comes after the Osun High Court of Justice in Osogbo pronounced Adedoyin, the proprietor of Hilton Hotels, guilty of the murder of Adegoke, a postgraduate student at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, and sentenced him to death by hanging on May 30. In a statement released by his media aide, Malam Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke emphasized that his administration has never contemplated or engaged in any actions that would undermine justice. He firmly stated that the rumors circulating on social media regarding a state pardon for Adedoyin are baseless and false. The governor attributed the spread of this misinformation to politically motivated individuals seeking to discredit his administration. He reiterated that neither he nor his political party has any hidden agenda concerning the murder case and affirmed the state judiciary's independence in handling the matter. Governor Adeleke asserted that he has no personal association or partnership with the owner of Oduduwa University and has not interfered with the legal proceedings or sentencing of the accused. He urged the public to dismiss these rumors and disregard attempts to link the service records of a state judicial official with the verdict on the tragic murder of the postgraduate student. The governor labeled those spreading such falsehoods as agents of darkness acting on behalf of disgruntled political elements, emphasizing that his government has no interest in subverting the course of justice. Finally, he expressed gratitude to those who have supported him and defended his administration against the orchestrated falsehoods, reiterating that the truth remains unaltered - justice will prevail and the state government stands firmly committed to upholding it.
