Justice: Nigerian Appeal Court upholds Ramon Adedoyin’s death sentence over OAU student’s murder

*A Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital, in South-West Nigeria, upholds the death sentence of Chief (Dr.) Ramon Adegoke Adedoyin, a prominent businessman and hotelier, for his involvement in the murder of Timothy Adegoke, a former Postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

A Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital, South-West Nigeria, has upheld the death sentence of Chief (Dr.) Ramon Adegoke Adedoyin, a prominent businessman and hotelier, based in Ile-Ife, for his involvement in the murder of Mr. Timothy Adegoke, a former Postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), in Ile-Ife.

Delivering the judgment Thursday, January 23, 2025, the court confirmed the earlier verdict of the Osun State High Court, which had sentenced Adedoyin to death.

The court ruled: “The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part.”

The Court of Appeal, however, set aside some aspects of the lower court’s orders, including the forfeiture of the Hilton Hotel, in Ile-Ife, and the order for Adedoyin to pay for the education of Adegoke’s children.

Furthermore, the court ruled that it had no jurisdiction to impose penalties outside the statutory provisions.

It is recalled that late Adegoke’s death was reported November 2021, after his corpse was found at the Hilton Hotel in Ile-Ife, Osun State, where he had lodged.

The late OAU Postgraduate student had travelled from Abuja for an examination at a distance learning centre in Moro, Osun State, November 5 of that year.

He had checked into the hotel, but was reported missing after two days.

However, Adegoke’s body was found days later, leading to an investigation that linked his death to Adedoyin and others.

Chief Adedoyin, in May 2023, and others were sentenced to death after they were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder.

But dissatisfied with the judgement, Adedoyin approached the Appeal Court to dismiss his sentence and conviction.

However, the Court of Appeal, Thursday, upheld the conviction and death sentence of the businessman and hotelier.