A former Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Professor Adolphus Loto, has appeared before the Coroner’s Court in Akure, making serious allegations of certificate forgery against the late Ezekiel Imole Adeniran, a former Registrar of the institution. Professor Loto claimed that Adeniran lived on forged academic credentials.
During his testimony, Prof. Loto, a Professor of Restorative Dentistry, stated that the deceased presented qualifications from institutions that later disowned him. Specifically, Adeniran claimed to have graduated from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia; however, official correspondence revealed that he was never a student there and had not been awarded the diploma in Leadership and Management or the MBA degree he asserted.
Prof. Loto further testified that Ajayi Crowther University terminated Adeniran’s appointment for gross misconduct after he allegedly altered a student’s result from Third Class to Second Class Lower. Additionally, Elizade University reportedly submitted a damaging character report to both UNIMED and the Department of State Services (DSS).
A visitation panel report from UNIMED, later adopted as a white paper by the Ondo State Government, concluded that the deceased was a serial forger and recommended his dismissal. Prof. Loto recounted how his suspicions were first raised upon hearing staff whisper about forged certificates.
Upon reviewing the Registrar’s file, he discovered numerous discrepancies, including certificates riddled with grammatical errors, inconsistent fonts, missing serial numbers, and dates that conflicted with Adeniran’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year. Prof. Loto stated that he issued an internal query on June 13, 2025, but rather than respond, the Registrar reported him to the Pro-Chancellor.
Despite being instructed by the Pro-Chancellor to wait for the Governing Council’s meeting, Prof. Loto escalated the matter to the police, asserting that forgery constitutes a criminal offense beyond the Council’s jurisdiction.
Ironically, the Registrar was due to appear at the State CID on July 17, 2025, to respond to the petition but failed to show up. By that evening, reports emerged that he had collapsed and later died.
The court also heard about a voice note allegedly recorded before his death, in which Adeniran claimed he was forced to drink poison and mentioned individuals, including Prof. Loto. While acknowledging the voice note, Prof. Loto dismissed the allegations, arguing that the deceased perceived him as an enemy due to the exposure of the forgery.
While acknowledging the existence of the voice note, Prof. Loto downplayed it, insisting the deceased merely saw him as an “enemy” for pursuing the forgery allegations.
“I listened to the voice note and what I heard was: ‘If I come to this world again, I will not have anything to do with Loto.’ From that, it is clear he perceived me as an enemy simply because I stood for truth and justice,” he told the Coroner.
“In my opinion, the weight of the reports against him could have driven him to despair. However, I had no role in his death. My duty was to uphold the truth,” Prof. Loto asserted, submitting both hard and soft copies of documentary evidence, including university correspondences, petitions, and the government white paper to the court.
The Coroner’s inquest continues to hear testimonies as it investigates whether the Registrar’s death resulted from suicide, poisoning, or foul play.
Cross-Examination Highlights
Q: Who did you overhear talking about forgery?
A: I cannot pinpoint anyone.
Q: What specifically did you hear?
A: That the certificate he used to secure the Deputy Registrar post was false.
Q: What discrepancies did you notice between his NYSC and the Australian degree?
A: Both were dated 2007.
Q: What errors did you notice in the certificates?
A: Grammatical errors, different fonts, no serial numbers, no codes.
Q: Did he respond to your query?
A: No. He reported me instead.
Q: Why disobey the Pro-Chancellor’s directive to wait?
A: Because forgery is criminal and cannot be hidden.
Q: Was the petition at UNIMED’s instance or yours?
A: Mine.
