The Appeal Court in Akure, Ondo State, on Tuesday, adjourned for judgment, a case in the murder of a postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Timothy Adegoke, at the Hilton Hotel and Resort, Ile-Ife, Osun.
The late Adegoke was a Masters degree student of the university whose death occurred between 5 and 7 November 2021, at the hotel where he lodged.
The three-man jury, headed by Justice Olufemi Akeju, held that the date for judgment would be communicated to the counsel, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), and Mr Kehinde Eleja (SAN), after both adopted their written addresses.
The appeal was filed by Chief Ramon Adedoyin, who was sentenced to death by an Osun State High Court, in Osogbo, over the death of Adegoke.
The Osun High Court found Adedoyin and two of the hotel workers guilty in the murder case.
According to the judgement of the lower court, the circumstantial evidence available to the court pointed to the killing of Adegoke while he was a guest at the hotel owned by Adedoyin.
The court also ruled that 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.
Justice Adepele Ojo then sentenced Adedoyin, Adeniyi Aderogba and Oyetunde Kazeem to death by hanging, over their alleged participation in the evacuation of the deceased from the hotel.
Not satisfied with the verdict of the lower court, Adedoyin and other convicts approached the appeal court, seeking nullification of the lower court’s judgment.
At the hearing of the appeal on Tuesday, counsel for the respondents, Falana (SAN), informed the court of his brief of argument dated 17 January 2024.
He prayed the court to adopt his brief of argument and dismiss the appeal of the appellants.
He also prayed the court to affirm the judgment of the lower court based on the evidence presented by the prosecution.
Falana added that the defence of the appellant was irrelevant to the case before the court, arguing that circumstantial evidence proved that the appellant conspired with two others to commit the crime for which they were sentenced.
He said, “There is no doubt in the appellant’s involvement in the death of Adegoke.
After the incident, Adedoyin assembled some of his staff to take the oath of secrecy, he took the said vehicle used to convey the deceased to his house in Abuja and he instructed his staff to cover up the entire circumstances surrounding the gruesome murder of the deceased”.
Falana prayed the judges to consider the evidence before them as well as the briefs of arguments to do justice to the case.
He urged the court to dismiss the appellant’s applications in the interest of justice.
Adedoyin’s counsel, Eleja (SAN), prayed the court to allow the appeal, saying that no evidence was given to support the conviction.
He stated that during the trial in the lower court, none of the witnesses called by the respondents gave any evidence or mentioned the name of his client as part of the said offences.
Eleja said; The appellant did not make any confessional statement during the trial, he did not call any witnesses because nothing was said against him. There was doubt in Adedoyin’s appearance in the hotel a day before the said occurrence”.
Eleja urged the court to allow the appeal and discharge the appellant of all the counts by which he was found guilty by the lower court.
The three-man panel led by Justice Akeju reserved the judgment on the appeal after the counsel for all the parties had adopted their written addresses.
