Olayomi Koiki
A court of appeal in Nigeria’s southwestern city of Akure – has upheld the death sentence of one Rahman Adedoyin, the owner of Hilton Hotel in Ile-Ife, Osun state, for the murder of Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).
A high court in Osun State sentenced Adedoyin to death by hanging in May 2023 after he was found guilty of the 2021 murder.
Oyebola Ojo, the trial judge, also convicted two others in connection with the crime.
The Osun State High Court also ordered the forfeiture of the hotel and a Hilux bus used to transport Adegoke’s body to a dumping site.
In November 2021, Adegoke traveled from the country’s capital Abuja to Moro in Osun state, to sit for an exam at OAU’s distance learning centre.
He checked into Hilton Hotel but was reported missing two days later. His body was later discovered, prompting investigations that linked his death to Adedoyin and others.
Displeased by the judgment of the high court, Adedoyin approached the appeal court to dismiss the sentence and conviction.
Adedoyin’s attorney, Kehinde Eleja argued that neither the evidence nor the witnesses proved the convict’s involvement in the murder case.
However, on Thursday, a three-member panel led by Olufemi Akeju upheld the conviction and death sentence of the hotelier, affirming the high court’s decision.
It also overturned the earlier order requiring Adedoyin to forfeit his hotel and fund the education of Adegoke’s children.
On January 29, 2022, Adegoke was buried beside the house he built for his parents in the New Eruwa part of Eruwa town, the Ibarapa East Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The late 37-year-old Master of Business Administration student was mourned by family members, friends and beneficiaries.
His widow, Bolatito, wept uncontrollably and refused to leave the graveside despite pleas that she should step aside.
In March same year, Afeez Olaniyan, the Investigative Police Officer who undertook the first probe into Adegoke’s death, narrated how some defendants arraigned in connection with the deceased’s death, evacuated and dumped his (Adegoke’s) corpse in the bush.
Being led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, M. Omosun, during the continuation of the trial, Olaniyan said from the statement extracted from two of the staffers of the Hilton Hotels–Adeniyi Aderogba and Oyetunde Kazeem, after the death of the late Adegoke, his corpse was wrapped with a duvet, and taken out in a Hilux van driven by the son of the hotel owner, Roheem Adedoyin, to where it was dumped.
A consultant pathologist at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Dr Waheed Oluogun, said Adegoke’s death was caused by severe haemorrhage secondary to severe traumatic injury.
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