The Court docket of Attraction, Akure, Ondo State Division, on Thursday, upheld the demise sentence handed on a well-liked lodge proprietor, Dr Ramon Adedoyin, who was discovered responsible within the homicide of an ex-Grasp’s scholar of the Obafemi Awolowo College, Ile-Ife, Timothy Adegoke.
The appellate court docket, in a lead judgment learn by Justice Oyebisi Omoleye, upheld the Might 2023 judgment of an Osun Excessive Court docket in Osogbo, which convicted Adedoyin and two lodge employees — Adeniyi Aderogba and Oyetunde Kazeem — of conspiracy and homicide of Adegoke.
Adegoke was discovered useless in November 2021 at Adedoyin’s Hilton Honours Lodge, Ile-Ife, the place he (the deceased) had lodged.
Within the Might 31, 2023 judgment, the Chief Choose of Osun State, Justice Adepele Ojo, held that the circumstantial proof introduced to the court docket pointed to the killing of Adegoke whereas being a visitor on the lodge owned by Adedoyin.
The decrease court docket choose dismissed Adedoyin’s alibi that he was not inside the lodge when the late Adegoke lodged there.
Justice Ojo additionally held that Adedoyin’s determination to not enter the witness field to persuade the court docket that he was harmless, was deadly to his case as a result of the burden of proof had shifted to him.
Within the last evaluation, the choose stated the prosecution proved the fees of conspiracy and illegal killing pressed in opposition to Adedoyin and two of the six employees charged together with him.
She, subsequently, sentenced Adedoyin to demise and ordered his lodge forfeited.
Displeased, nevertheless, Adedoyin approached the Court docket of Attraction, searching for to overturn the demise verdict and lodge forfeiture.
Nonetheless, the Court docket of Attraction, in a judgment on Thursday, partly dismissed the attraction and affirmed the choice of the decrease court docket. The appellate court docket affirmed the demise sentence however reversed the lodge forfeiture.
Justice Omoleye dominated: “The judgment of the Excessive Court docket of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s attraction is dismissed partly.”
Justice Omoleye ordered the return of the convict’s property and likewise nullified the decrease court docket’s order that the kids of the late Adegoke be placed on scholarship by the convict.
“The order of forfeiture of Hilton Lodge is quashed and put aside. The order of training scholarship to youngsters of Timothy Adegoke by Adedoyin and others quashed and put aside,” Justice Omoleye held.
Talking after the court docket session, the counsel for the respondent, Fatima Adesina, who represented Mr Femi Falana (SAN), hailed the decision.
Adesina stated, “By the judgment of the Court docket of Attraction, that conviction has been upheld. So, the one facet of the judgment that was put aside was with respect of the varied choices of the trial court docket, which acknowledged that the convicts could be answerable for the training of the kids of the deceased.
“Forfeiture of his property to the state authorities was additionally quashed by the Court docket of Attraction.”