The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has upheld the death sentence of renowned hotel owner, Dr. Ramon Adedoyin, who was convicted for the murder of Timothy Adegoke, a former Master’s student at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
In a ruling on Thursday, the appellate court confirmed that Adedoyin’s conviction and death sentence by the lower court were justified. The court had previously reserved judgment in the case on October 29, 2024, more than 16 months after Adedoyin filed his appeal.
The judgment read, in part, “The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part. The Court of Appeal held that Adedoyin was properly convicted and sentenced to death.”
Additionally, the court annulled the earlier orders regarding the forfeiture of Hilton Hotel and the educational scholarship for the children of Timothy Adegoke, which had been granted by the lower court.
Timothy Adegoke, an Abuja-based chartered accountant, had traveled to Ile-Ife on November 5, 2021, to sit for his MBA exams at the OAU Distance Learning Centre. When he stopped communicating with family and friends two days after confirming his arrival, he was declared missing.
His body was later discovered in a shallow grave near the Hilton Hotel and Resorts, where he had stayed. Adegoke left behind a wife and three children.
Hilton Hotel and Resorts is owned by Dr. Ramon Adedoyin. Subsequent police investigations revealed that Adedoyin was one of the four individuals involved in Adegoke’s murder.