Olayiwola Matthew
The Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, has reserved judgment on the appeal filed by Ramon Adedoyin, who was sentenced to death by an Osun State High Court in Osogbo for the death of Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Adegoke was allegedly killed at Adedoyin’s hotel, Hilton Hotels, in Ile-Ife.
Adedoyin, along with two of his hotel staff, was found guilty by the Osun High Court in the murder case of Adegoke, whose death occurred between November 5 and 7, 2021, while staying at the hotel.
The court’s judgment relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, which pointed to the involvement of Adedoyin and his staff in the killing. The court noted that Adedoyin’s refusal to testify or provide an alibi weakened his defence.
Justice Adepele Ojo had sentenced Adedoyin and two staff members, Adeniyi Aderogba and Oyetunde Kazeem, to death by hanging over their alleged roles in the disposal of Adegoke’s body from the hotel premises.
Dissatisfied with the verdict, Adedoyin and his co-defendants approached the Appeal Court, seeking to overturn the High Court’s judgment.
During Tuesday’s hearing, counsel for the respondents, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, urged the Appeal Court to dismiss Adedoyin’s appeal and uphold the High Court’s judgment, arguing that the prosecution’s circumstantial evidence clearly implicated Adedoyin and others in the crime.
“There is no doubt about the appellant’s involvement in Adegoke’s death.
“After the incident, Adedoyin allegedly gathered his staff for an oath of secrecy, transported the vehicle used to convey the deceased to his residence in Abuja, and directed his staff to cover up the circumstances surrounding the murder,” Falana said.
On the other hand, Adedoyin’s counsel, Mr Kehinde Eleja, SAN, contended that the lower court’s conviction was not supported by evidence.
Eleja argued that none of the prosecution’s witnesses directly implicated Adedoyin and that his client’s absence from the hotel at the time of Adegoke’s death cast doubt on his involvement.
“The appellant did not make any confessional statement during the trial,” Eleja said. “There was no testimony placing him at the scene, and his presence a day before the incident was unsubstantiated.”
The three-man panel, led by Justice Olufemi Akeju, reserved judgment on the appeal after both parties adopted their written arguments. A date for the ruling will be communicated to the parties.