Magdalene Chiefuna, the receptionist at Hilton Hotels and Suites, Ile-Ife, where Timothy Adegoke allegedly died, yesterday, disclosed how she discovered the deceased’s body in his room.
Testifying before Chief Judge Adepele Ojo at the resumed hearing over Timothy’s alleged murder, Magdalene said having expected the guest (Timothy) to come out of the room for the cleaner to clean the room, she decided to use the extra key to access it and found him lifeless on the bed
She also disclosed that she and another person took the oath of confidentiality with the Managing Director of the hotel, Raheem Adedoyin, to cover the secret of the death so that it will not affect the business of the hotel.
Led in evidence by Kunle Adegoke, SAN, the defence witness informed the court that she was studying Philosophy at OAU at the same time working as a receptionist at the hotel.
She narrated how she took over from Adesola Adedeji, the 7th defendant, and discovered that the occupant of Room 305 was not seen until the following day, November 7, when she got the extra key from the housekeeper and opened the door.
Under cross-examination by Femi Falana, the witness said: “When the Manager, Adeniyi Aderogba, the 3rd defendant, could not get a response after knocking at the door several times, he went out for a meeting. I opened the door and perceived some odour in the room. I saw a laptop plugged into the wall. There were drugs on the table, paracetamol and another drug I can’t identify.
I also saw money of lower currency on a table and I went to the bedroom. I saw a man lying down, facing up, covered with a duvet. A phone was ringing beside his head. I tapped his leg to wake him up but there was no response. As I was leaving the room, I saw the key to the room inserted from inside. I locked the room and left.”
She explained that she called the manager, who came and confirmed the death of the occupant after taking up his hand and dropping it.
According to her, the manager called the chairman, Dr Rahman Adedoyin, the owner of the hotel and “after a while, the MD, Raheem Adedoyin, came and he went upstairs with the manager. The MD asked us what happened and we explained it to him.”
She explained further that the manager took her to the office of the MD and “the MD said that we are going to swear an oath of confidentiality not to disclose the fact that we found someone inside the room so as not to affect the business.”
While stating that she was given a letter of transfer by the MD on the 11th to resume at the school, the witness said she did not know anything about the deceased until she was arrested at the house of the Chairman on the 12th after she had deleted the account on her phone on the order of the Chairman and his son, the MD.
Pathologist says cause of death not anatomically determined
Meanwhile, a Consultant Pathologist from Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Prof. Olusegun Ojo, had earlier told the court that the cause of Adegoke’s death cannot be anatomically determined.
He said the death of Adegoke is not unnatural and he could not say it is a natural death.
Justice Oyebola Adepele-Ojo thereby adjourned till today for the continuation of the cross-examination of Chiefuna.