Henzodaily.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering crime matters in Nigeria.
Ile-Ife, Osun state – The court of appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo state, has upheld the death sentence of a popular hotel owner, Ramon Adedoyin, who was found guilty in the murder case of Timothy Adegoke.
Adegoke was a Master’s student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, when he died. The Abuja-based Oyo state indigene was found dead in November 2021 at Adedoyin’s Hilton Honours Hotel, Ile-Ife, where he (the deceased) had lodged.
As reported by The Punch, according to the court’s judgment on Thursday, January 23, 2025, the appellate court noted that the judgment by the Osun state high court which sentenced Adedoyin to death still stands.
The appeal court had reserved the judgment on October 29, 2024.
The judgement partly reads:
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“The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part. The Court of Appeal held that Adedoyin was properly convicted and sentenced to death.”
Furthermore, it noted that the “order of forfeiture of Hilton Hotel quashed and set aside. Order of education scholarship to children of Timothy Adegoke by Adedoyin and others quashed and set aside.”
Earlier, in May 2023, the Osun high court found Adedoyin and some members of his staff guilty.
According to the Osun high court’s judgment, the circumstantial evidence available indicated that Adegoke was killed while staying at the hotel. Adedoyin’s refusal to enter the witness box shifted the burden of proof onto him, which the court ruled did not help his defence.
The court also held that Adedoyin’s failure to testify implied his agreement with the murder charge pressed against him by the prosecution, dismissing the alibi provided by his counsel, which claimed that Adedoyin was in Abuja during the period of Adegoke’s death.
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Justice Adepele Ojo sentenced Adedoyin and two of his staff members, Adeniyi Aderogba and Oyetunde Kazeem, to death by hanging for their involvement in disposing of the deceased’s body.
Dissatisfied with the verdict, Adedoyin and the other convicts approached the Appeal Court to seek nullification of the lower court’s judgment.
More to follow…
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Source: Henzodaily.ng