Departed UNIMED registrar, Mr. Ezekiel Imole Adeniran
- invokes Coroner’s Law
- CJ appoints Chief Magistrate Ogunfuyi as coroner to lead inquest
- Family claims forced poisoning by assailants
Ondo State Government has moved to probe the death in controversial circumstances, of the registrar of the state-owned University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, UNIMED, Mr. Ezekiel Imole Adeniran.
Already,the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, OON, SAN, has invoked the Ondo State Coroner’s Law, urging the state’s Chief Judge, Hon Justice Olusegun Odusola, to assign a coroner to inquire into the death.
The commissioner, in a letter addressed to the Chief Judge, stated that reports indicated that Adeniran died under questionable circumstances on or about July 17, 2025.
He stressed that, in the public interest, a formal coroner’s inquest is necessary to ascertain the cause and manner of death, and to determine if any individual may bear criminal responsibility.
Ajulo stated that the inquest would be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Coroners Law of Ondo State, and requested that a magistrate within the appropriate jurisdiction be assigned to serve as coroner.
He wrote, “Following briefing and information at my disposal, I believe that in the public interest, a formal inquiry in the form of a coroner’s inquest is warranted.”
Acting on the request, the Chief Judge has appointed Dr. Dickson Ogunfuyi, a Chief Magistrate and Head of the Ondo State Multi-Door Court, to serve as the coroner.
The request comes amid growing controversy over claims that Adeniran took his own life by purchasing and drinking poison following a white paper that purportedly indicted him and recommended his dismissal.
However, his family insists he was forced to drink the poison by unknown assailants.
The Attorney General stressed that the inquest would be conducted with full transparency and adherence to due process.
Adeniran, who was reportedly found dead in front of his residence in Akure the state capital, was suspected to have been assassinated by unknown persons.
Strengthening this suspicion, the police state spokesman, Mr Olayinka Ayanlade, reportedly told reporters that the matter was a case of assassination.
According to him, “I can confirm to you that the man was killed. From the information I have at my disposal, two men came out of the bush, and they forced a substance into another person’s mouth.
“But I can’t confirm to you where it happened, but our area of interest is to unravel who is responsible for his death.”
