Akure, Sept. 23, 2025 — Fresh details have emerged on how the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo State, failed in its duty of due diligence when appointing its late Registrar, Mr. Imole Adeniran, who died suddenly in July and is now the subject of a coroner’s inquest.
A fact-finding panel set up to probe controversies around his appointment and death faulted the management for overlooking glaring irregularities in his credentials, work history, and character.
Speaking during the proceedings, former Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof. Adolphus Loto said the institution should never have confirmed Adeniran as Registrar without proper verification of his certificates and records from previous employers.
He faulted the university for not even placing him on probation before elevating him into such a sensitive leadership role.
“Yes, that’s true. The university was supposed to do a thorough investigation and background check before putting him into a managerial position. His previous places must be asked to write whether he is capable or not, or he should have been put on probation for two to three years. But in this case, our university failed to do what they were supposed to do,” Loto stated.
In a scathing remark, Loto further described those who cleared Adeniran’s appointment as “a group of criminals”, accusing the leadership at the time of deliberately ignoring due process.
The panel’s report described the recruitment as “deeply flawed”, recommending the removal of the Registrar’s name from the records and the commencement of a fresh appointment process.
Government representatives at the sitting endorsed the recommendation, pointing out that the late Registrar had already been suspended before his death.
Meanwhile, the coroner’s inquest continues to examine the circumstances of Adeniran’s sudden death, including allegations of certificate forgery and a purported dying declaration, with the autopsy report expected in the coming weeks.
