By Abiola Olawale
The Court of Appeal, located in Akure, Ondo State, has delivered a major ruling, upholding the death sentence imposed on Dr. Ramon Adedoyin, a prominent hotelier.
This decision comes in the wake of Adedoyin’s conviction for the murder of Timothy Adegoke, a former Master’s student at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife.
On Thursday, the appellate court held that after carefully reviewing the case, it affirmed the earlier verdict rendered by the Osun State High Court, which found Adedoyin guilty and sentenced him to death.
“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,” the appellate court’s judgment read.
It further 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.”
It would be recalled that the victim in this case is Timothy Adegoke, a student at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), who was in his final year studying for a Master’s in Business Administration.
Recall that the incident occurred between November 5 and 7, 2021. According to the police, the crime scene is Hilton Honours Hotel, which was owned by Ramon Adedoyin and is located in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Adegoke was said to have checked into the hotel on November 5, 2021, to prepare for an examination at OAU the following day.
However, after checking in, Adegoke was never seen alive again. His family reported him missing when they couldn’t reach him.
His body was later found in a shallow grave near the hotel premises.
The case was first tried in the Osun State High Court where Adedoyin and some of his staff were sentenced to death.
