Court Sentences Hilton Hotel Owner, Adedoyin, Two Staff to Death over Murder of OAU Student

The Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo has sentenced the founder of Hilton Hotel, Ile-Ife, Ramon Adedoyin and two staff of the hotel – Adeniyi Aderogba and Kazeem Oyetunde to death by hanging for the murder of Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

The state Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Ojo

 convicted the accused persons, after they were found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, and unlawful killing of the 37-year-old student, a guest of the hotel.

Adegoke, a Business Administration (MBA) student, travelled from Abuja to Ile-Ife, Osun State to write his MBA examination.

He lodged in the Hilton Hotel, where he planned to stay during the period of the examinations.

The family of the deceased was said to have reported to the police in Osun, when he could not be reached,

He was declared missing by the Osun State Police Command on November 7, 2021.

The police in Osun State, few days later, released a statement disclosing that Timothy was found dead but could not disclose details of the circumstances of his death.

In the course of investigation, Adedoyin and the other suspects were arrested, interrogated and  charged for murder of the deceased.

Adedoyin was charged along with six of his workers, Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwole Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem, Adebayo Kunle and Adedeji Adesola (1st to 7th defendants) on 18-count which include murder, conspiracy, oath of secrecy, tampering with dead body,

 among others.

Delivering judgement in the murder case today (Tuesday), Justice Ojo found Adedoyin and the two staff culpable of the conspiracy to murder and murder of thehOAU student, based on the circumstances of the case established by the prosecuting counsel, Femi Falana, SAN.

“I found the first defendant (Ramon Adedoyin) culpable of the conspiracy to murder and murder.”

The Judge held that evidence presented before the court placed Oyetunde Kazeem “squarely among those who perpetrated the acts” and he was found guilty of the counts.

Justice Ojo, in her judgement, discharged three defendants – Magdalene Chiefuna, Lawrence Oluwole and Adedeji Adesola from the counts of conspiracy to murder and murder.

The judge, however, found the trio culpable of other counts in the charge.

Specifically, Adedoyin was found culpable and convicted of counts 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 15 and 16.

The judge held that the second autopsy reports signed by two pathologists from Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital was ” a report by persons with vested interest”.

The court established that late Timothy lodged in the Hilton hotel and paid into the account of the 7th defendant (Adedeji Adesola).

The judge held that evidence presented before the court placed Oyetunde Kazeem “squarely among those who perpetrated the acts” and he found guilty of the counts.

According to the Judge, the seventh defendant (Adedeji Adesola) was “carefully chorographed into the act. The circumstance around her were not strong to found her culpable of conspiracy to murder and murder of Timothy, the judge held.