Adedoyin’s Murder Case Gets Judgment Day

Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Adepele Ojo, will on Tuesday, May 30, deliver judgement on the alleged murder of ex-Masters student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Timothy Adegoke.

Adedoyin and the six workers, Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwole Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem, Adebayo Kunle and Adedeji Adesola had been standing trial 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 arraigned on 18 counts bordering on murder, conspiracy, and oath of secrecy, among others.

The parties in the matter adopted their final written addresses and argued their cases before the court on Thursday, April 27.

At the sitting, after adopting his final written address filed on April 13, counsel to Adedoyin, the 1st defendant in the matter, Mr. Yusuf Alli, SAN, said there was no link between his client and the death of the late Adegoke, beyond the fact that the hotel, where the late OAU student died, belongs to the first defendant.

Alli, who insisted that there was no vicarious liability in law, said the charges pressed against his client and other defendants were based on suspicion and asked the court to discharge and acquit them.

In their separate submissions after adopting their final written addresses, replies on point of law and affidavits, counsel to 2nd, 4th and 5th defendants, Muritala Abdulrosheed, SAN, counsel to 3rd and 6th defendants, Dr. Rowland Otaru, SAN, and the lawyer representing the 7th defendant, Okon Ita, all asked the court to discharge their clients, as there were no compelling facts linking them to the crime

But the prosecutor, Femi Falana, who adopted his final written address filed on March 29, 2023, recalled how Adegoke died and his body dumped in the bush, as well as the efforts made to hide the crime from the authorities by those involved after the oath of secrecy was administered on them.

Falana insisted that based on the evidence led before the court, the defendants, if found guilty should get a judgement commensurate to their level of involvement.

The court subsequently adjourned for judgement, which Justice Ojo said would be delivered before the end of May.

Besides the judgement on the main case, the court is also expected to rule on the issue of fiat to prosecute the case by Femi Falana, which the defence counsel were also challenging.

The prosecution counsel, Fatimoh Adesina, during an interview said the parties would return to court on Tuesday for judgement on the matter.

Adesina said, “It is Tuesday. We are going to court on Tuesday for the judgement.”