Nearly two years after the passing of former Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, a coroner’s inquest is set to investigate the true cause of his death.
The move comes after several petitions were submitted by concerned citizens of the state to the Ministry of Justice.
Ondo State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kayode Ajulo, announced the decision on Monday.
He said the inquest was in response to growing suspicions and legal demands from groups who “reasonably suspect foul play” in the circumstances surrounding Akeredolu’s death.
Ajulo disclosed that multiple petitions were sent from within and outside the state, including from professional bodies and the late governor’s hometown.
The petitioners alleged that the late governor’s wife, Betty Akeredolu, and others may have had a hand in his death.
Ajulo noted that although Akeredolu’s passing was officially linked to prostate cancer, the state’s coroner law allows for further scrutiny when “there are legitimate concerns.”
“It is not out of place for citizens to demand its invocation when there are legitimate concerns,” he said.
Coroner Law to Guide Investigation
Akeredolu died in December 2023 after battling prostate cancer during his time as governor.
The state government insists that invoking the coroner’s law is not driven by sentiment but by duty.
“The law will be allowed to take its course without bias or sentiment,” Ajulo said.
He also affirmed that the law gives any citizen or group the right to request an inquest into any death perceived as suspicious, unnatural, or controversial.
Among the concerns raised by the petitioners was what they described as “the unguarded and unhinged conduct” of the former First Lady.
They argue her actions raise doubts about the official narrative that Akeredolu died solely from cancer complications.
Although Betty Akeredolu has not been officially summoned or indicted, the controversy has reignited fears that the probe may be politically motivated. Mrs Akeredolu was fiercely opposed to the political aspiration of Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa who was her husband’s deputy before his demise.
Ajulo said the state’s Ministry of Justice would handle the process “strictly in line with the law and the facts presented.”
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