University Proprietor, Two Others To Die By Hanging For Murder Of OAU Postgraduate Student

By Ayodele Oni

Justice has prevailed on the death of a postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) Ile Ife, Timothy Adegoke as Osun State High Court, sentenced the Founder of Oduduwa University and popular hotelier, Dr Rahmon Adedoyin to death by hanging for the murder of Timothy Adegoke, a former Masters student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Delivering judgment in the celebrated case, an Osun State High Court found the popular hotel owner and school proprietor, Dr Rahmon Adedoyin, and three others guilty in the murder case of Adegoke, whose death occurred between November 5 and 7, 2021 at Hilton Honours Hotel, Ile-Ife.

Adegoke, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) student, travelled from Abuja to Ife to write his examination and lodged in the hotel only to be declared missing by the police on November 7, 2021.

A few days later, the Osun police command released a statement disclosing that the 37-year-old student was found dead without explaining the circumstances surrounding his death and how he was found.

The Court presided over by Chief judge of Osun State, Justice Oyebola Ojo, found Adedoyin and three of his staff members guilty of murder and conspiracy.

Ojo held that circumstantial evidence confirmed that Adedoyin and his staff members killed Adegoke and tried to conceal the situation.

The Court held that he shall serve a term of ten years in prison before the death sentence is executed.

Osun Chief Judge, Justice Adepele Ojo, while delivering her judgement, 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.

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 the death of the late Adegoke occurred.

Adedoyin and three staff of the hotel were convicted of conspiracy to murder and murder of Adegoke.

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

However, they were found culpable of other counts in the charge.

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

The Court held that the second autopsy reports signed by two pathologists from Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital was thwarted as the court holds that “it’s a report by persons with vested interest”.

Justice Ojo established that the late Adegoke lodged in Hilton Hotel and paid into the account of the 7th defendant.

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

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

Seventh defendant (Adedeji Adesola) was “carefully chorographed into the act. The circumstance around her were not strong to found her culpable of the count 1, 2, and 3”.

“The 1st, 3rd and 5th defendants are culpable of the offence of conspiracy to improperly, indecently dumping of the deceased body and are guilty as charged.”