The death of Timothy Adegoke, Masters student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has taken a “mafia” dimension. This is because, on Wednesday, Magdalene Chiefuna, the receptionist on duty on the day Adegoke died inside Hilton Hotel, Ile-Ife, Osun State, said she and others took an oath of secrecy to protect the hotel from the adverse effect of the incident. It was akin to the oath of Omerta, made notorious by the Italian Cosa Nostra!

The oath of Omertà, as historians put it, is a code of honour, loyalty and silence, that all men take when they are sworn into the mafioso (mafia) family and have to oblige by with their life. And with those words, your forever indebted to uphold the mafioso (mafia) honour. The mafioso comes before love, family, friends and country.

Chiefuna spoke under cross examination at the resumed hearing of the matter at the Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo. She was cross examined by the chief prosecution counsel, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN. The lady added that she did not know that the deceased was dumped until when she got to police station six days after.

While in the dock during the court session that lasted about seven hours, Chiefuna, according to the Punch, said she only heard the deceased had paid for the room when she resumed duty on November 6, but never saw him.

She said the following day, when the lodger was not seen at the reception area, she took a spare key to Room 305 and opened the door, where she met Adegoke in the room lying face up and wrapped in duvet exposing only his face on the bed.

Chiefuna further said she initially thought Adegoke was sleeping, but became scared when she shook his leg and she immediately informed the manager on duty, Adeniyi Aderogba, of her discovery.

She added that after Aderogba had also gone into the room to check Adegoke, he declared that the lodger was dead.

She said the managing director of the hotel, Roheem Adedoyin, after the body had been discovered dead, arrived the hotel and was told what happened.

According to her, Adeniyi later took her and the receptionist that was to take over duty, Esther Asigor, to the MD’s office, where Adedoyin administered an oath of confidentiality on them in order not to disclose what had transpired.