Appeal Court Upholds Ramon Adedoyin’s Death Sentence for OAU Student’s Murder

The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has affirmed the death sentence of Ramon Adedoyin, a prominent hotelier and businessman, for his role in the gruesome murder of Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Delivering the verdict on Thursday, the appellate court upheld the 2023 ruling of the Osun State High Court, which had found Adedoyin guilty of conspiracy to murder and sentenced him to death.

“The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part,” declared the three-member panel, cementing the finality of the case.

However, the court struck out some contentious orders from the lower court, including the forfeiture of Adedoyin’s Hilton Honours Hotel in Ile-Ife and a directive mandating him to finance the education of Adegoke’s children. The appellate court emphasized that it lacked jurisdiction to impose penalties outside statutory provisions.

The Tragic Death of Timothy Adegoke

The murder case that rocked the nation dates back to November 2021. Adegoke had travelled from Abuja to Osun State to take an examination at a distance learning centre in Moro. He lodged at Hilton Honours Hotel, owned by Adedoyin, but was reported missing two days later.

Days after his disappearance, Adegoke’s lifeless body was discovered under suspicious circumstances, prompting an investigation that implicated Adedoyin and his staff in the murder. The shocking incident led to nationwide outrage, with many calling for justice.

Timeline of Legal Battles

In May 2023, an Osun State High Court sentenced Adedoyin and others involved to death for murder and conspiracy to murder. Dissatisfied with the ruling, the businessman filed an appeal seeking to overturn the conviction and sentence.

The Court of Appeal’s Thursday ruling now seals Adedoyin’s fate, solidifying his death sentence while providing some reprieve regarding the forfeiture of assets and additional penalties.