Adegoke: Court reserves judgement against Adedoyin, others

Forum 11 months ago

Adegoke: Court reserves judgement against Adedoyin, others

Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Oyebola Ojo, yesterday, reserved judgement in the murder case against the owner of Hilton Hotel, Ile-Ile, Dr. Rahman Adedoyin, and six of his workers.

Adedoyin and the six workers, Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwole Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem, Adebayo Kunle and Adedeji Adesola, were docked before the court over the alleged murder of Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ile, in Osun State, having been declared missing after lodging in the hotel in November 2021.

Adegoke’s body was later found in a shallow grave along old Ede road in the town by police before Adedoyin and his workers were docked on 18 counts bordering on murder, conspiracy, and oath of secrecy, among others.

At the resumed hearing, yesterday, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, adopted his written address filed on March 29, 2023, and reply on the point of law already before the court.

While addressing the court, Falana insisted that the deceased was killed and his body dumped in the bush.

He added that those involved in the act attempted to obliterate the act and took an oath of secrecy.

However, counsel to Adedoyin, Yusuf Alli, SAN, asked the court to discharge and acquit Adedoyin, saying no evidence linked him to the said murder.

He said the only connection Adedoyin had with the matter is simply because he is the owner of the hotel where the said death occurred.

Also, counsel to the 2nd, 4th and 5th defendants, Abdulrasheed Muritala, SAN, said there was no direct evidence linking his clients to the murder.

According to him, the entire case was based on suspicion, hence, urged the court to discharge his clients on charges against them.

Similarly, counsels to other defendants urged the court to discharge their clients because the evidence against them was based on speculation.

Justice Ojo disclosed that judgment on arguments on fiat will be delivered alongside the final judgement on the case, adding that her verdict will be pronounced in a month from yesterday.