The Chief Judge of the Osun State High Court, Justice Oyebola Ojo, has delivered judgment in the murder case of Timothy Adegoke, a former master’s degree student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
OsunDaily News reports that the Judge found the popular hotel owner, Dr. Ramon Adedoyin, guilty of Adegoke’s death, which occurred between November 5 and 7, 2021, at Hilton Honours Hotel, Ile-Ife.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ojo 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.
She 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.
She sentenced the hotel’s owner to death by hanging alongside two others who were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Adegoke, a Business Administration (MBA) student, travelled from Abuja to Ile-Ife to write his examination. He lodged in the hotel, where he hoped to stay out the period of the examinations. But was declared missing by the police on 7 November 2021.
Recall that the owner of the hotel, Dr. Adedoyin, alongside six of his staff, namely, Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwole Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem Adebayo Kunle, and Adedeji Adesola were standing trial on 18 counts of conspiracy, murder, felony, indecent interference of the corpse, alteration, and cancellation of receipt and oath-taking to prevent justice.
