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OAU student murder case: Court of Appeal affirms death sentence for Rahman Adedoyin
The Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, has confirmed the death sentence imposed on Rahman Adedoyin, the proprietor of Hilton Hotel in Ile-Ife, Osun State, over the murder of Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).
The Osun State High Court had convicted Adedoyin in May 2023, sentencing him to death by hanging for the crime.
The trial judge, Justice Oyebola Ojo, also convicted two others in connection with the case.
The court ordered the forfeiture of the hotel and a Hilux vehicle used to transport Adegoke’s body to a dumpsite.
In November 2021, Adegoke had travelled from Abuja to Moro, Osun State, to take an exam at OAU’s Distance Learning Centre.
He checked into Hilton Hotel but was reported missing two days later.
Investigations revealed his lifeless body, leading to the arrest and trial of Adedoyin and other suspects.
Dissatisfied with the High Court’s ruling, Adedoyin appealed the judgment, urging the appellate court to quash the conviction and sentence.
His counsel, Kehinde Eleja, argued that neither the evidence nor the witnesses conclusively tied Adedoyin to the murder.
However, on Thursday, a three-member panel led by Justice Olufemi Akeju upheld the High Court’s verdict, affirming Adedoyin’s conviction and death sentence.
The appellate court did, however, overturn the previous order mandating the forfeiture of Adedoyin’s hotel and the requirement for him to fund the education of Adegoke’s children.
