Osun State High Court on Tuesday, May 30, sentenced popular owner of Hilton Hotels, Ile-Ife, Dr. Ramon Adedoyin, to death by hanging for the murder of Timothy Adegoke.
Adegoke, a former postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, was murdered inside his hotel room at Hilton Hotels in November 2021.
Adedoyin and six of his workers were arrested and arraigned in connection with the murder.
The court presided over by Chief judge of Osun State, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo, found Adedoyin and two of his staff, Adeniyi Aderogba and Kazeem Oyetunde, guilty of murder and conspiracy.
Ojo, while delivering her judgement on the case, held that the circumstantial evidence available to the court, pointed to the killing of Adegoke while being a guest at the hotel owned by Adedoyin.
According to her, Adedoyin’s decision not to enter the witness box did not help him, as the circumstantial evidence had shifted the burden of proof on him.
Justice Ojo also said Adedoyin’s decision not to enter the witness box meant he agreed to the murder charge pressed against him by the prosecution, dismissing the alibi pleaded on his behalf by his counsel, who said the hotel owner was in Abuja for many days around the time the death of the late Adegoke occurred.
Justice Ojo, however, discharged and acquitted three of the staff, Magdalene Chiefuna, Lawrence Oluwole and Adedeji Adesola, while the seventh defendant is to hear her sentencing on Wednesday, following pleas by both the prosecution and defendant counsels.
