The Court of Appeal, Akure division, Ondo State, on Thursday upheld the death sentence of a popular hotelier and industrialist, Rahmon Adedoyin, over the murder of Timothy Adegoke.
The appellate court, which upheld the judgment of the High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, affirmed that Adedoyin was properly convicted by the lower court.
However, Judge Oyebisi Omoleye quashed the judgment of the lower court on the forfeiture of his property to the state government, as well as the judgment mandating Adedoyin to be responsible for the education of the children of the deceased.
The judgment read in part: “The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part.”
“Order of forfeiture of Hilton Hotel quashed and set aside. Order of education scholarship to children of Timothy Adegoke by Adedoyin and others quashed and set aside.”
Adegoke, a former Master’s student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, and a chartered accountant, was killed in Adedoyin’s hotel after travelling to Ile-Ife to write his MBA exams.
Shortly after the judgment, Fatima Adesina, representing the respondent, the state government on behalf of Femi Falana SAN, said, “By the judgment just delivered today by the Court of Appeal, the Court has upheld the conviction by the Trial Court for those various offenses, especially for conspiracy to kill, unlawful killing, accessory after the fact, and some other offenses.
“However, the Court quashed certain aspects of the decision of the trial Court, especially the decision that relates to the order of the Trial Court mandating the respondent, the convicts, to be responsible for the education of the children of the deceased Timothy Adegoke.
“The Court, in its judgment today, held that for convictions, the jurisdiction of the Court is limited to the statutory provisions as to the penalty provided by the law. So, the statutory provision is either the Court, the Trial Court complies with the maximum penalty or the minimum. So anything outside the two, the Court will not have jurisdiction to so do.
“So, on that basis, the conviction of the appellant, Dr. Rahman Adedoyin Dayu, to be responsible for the education of the deceased and the forfeiture of his property to the state government have been quashed by the Court of Appeal.”On October 29, 2024, the appeal court reserved judgment on the matter, 16 months after the industrialist had filed an appeal. (Guardian)