Ondo State government has taken a drastic step to unravel the remote and immediate cause of the death of the Registrar of University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, the late Ezekiel Imole Adeniran.

The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, has invoked the Ondo State Coroner’s Law, urging the Chief Judge of the State, Honourable Justice Olusegun Ayedun Odusola, to assign a coroner to inquire into Registrar’s death.

Ajulo had, in a letter to the Chief Judge, revealed that reports available to him indicated that the Registrar of Ondo State-owned varsity “died under questionable circumstances on or about July 17, 2025.”

He, therefore, noted that stressed that a formal coroner’s inquest was necessary to ascertain the cause and manner of death, and to determine if any individual may bear criminal responsibility in public interest.

Explaining further, the Attorney General stated that the inquest would be conducted in line with the provisions of the Coroner’s Law of Ondo State.

He, therefore, requested that a magistrate within the appropriate jurisdiction be assigned to serve as coroner.

The letter reads: “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.”

Consequently, the Chief Judge, Justice Odusola, has appointed Dr. Dickson Ogunfuyi, a Chief Magistrate and Head of the Ondo State Multi-Door Court, to serve as the coroner.

Meanwhile, the family of the deceased has been claiming that he was forced by unknown assailants to drink poison.

It would be recalled that the Ondo State Police Command, in a statement by its Spokesman, Olayinka Ayanlade, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), had stated that the Registrar’s death was being handled as “a “pure case of assassination.

The statement reads: “The man died in the early hours of Thursday. I can confirm to you that it is a case of assassination reported at Fanibi Division.

“We are doing everything possible to unravel the lies and get to the root of the matter.

“From information available to us, two men reportedly emerged from the bush and forced a substance into another person’s mouth.

“However, we are still trying to confirm the exact details and location. But I can’t confirm to you where it actually happened, but our area of interest is to unravel who is responsible for his death.”

The Attorney General has assured that the inquest would be conducted with full transparency and adherence to due process.

Adeniran was appointed Registrar of the varsity on January 6, 2025 having gone through all necessary screening in line with rules and regulations of engagement in the institution.

But he was found dead in his appointment on July 17, 2025 under suspicious circumstances. (Daily Independent)