An Osun State High Court on Tuesday sentenced the owner of Hilton Hotel in Ile-Ife Ramon Adedoyin to death by hanging for the murder of a postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Timothy Adegoke.
Justice Oyebola Ojo said the owner of the hotel and two of his workers, based on the circumstances of the case established by the prosecutor Femi Falana, are found culpable of conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful killing of the deceased.
According to her, Mr 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.
Justice Ojo 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 of Adegoke’s death.
Mr Adegoke died at the hotel in November 2021 and his body was illegally disposed of by the hotel’s staff.
Adedoyin was charged along with six of his workers, Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwole Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem, Adebayo Kunle and Adedeji Adesola as first to seventh defendants and were docked on an 18-count charge.
Justice Ojo acquitted Chiefuna, Oluwole and Adesola of the counts of conspiracy to murder and murder but found them culpable of other counts.
Adedoyin was, however, convicted of counts 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 15 and 16.
