Court sentences founder of Oduduwa University to death for murder of postgraduate student

Ramon Adedoyin, the founder of Oduduwa University and owner of Hilton Honours Hotel in Ile-Ife, has been found guilty by the Osun State High Court for the murder of Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). The court, presided over by Judge Adepele Ojo, sentenced Adedoyin to death by hanging.

The murder of Adegoke took place between November 5 and 7, 2021, at the Hilton Honours Hotel. Judge Ojo based her ruling on the circumstantial evidence presented during the trial, which strongly indicated Adedoyin’s involvement in the killing. Despite the opportunity to testify in his defense, Adedoyin chose not to take the witness stand, further implicating himself.

Justice Ojo emphasised that Adedoyin’s decision not to testify worked against him, as the circumstantial evidence had shifted the burden of proof onto him. The judge also dismissed the alibi presented by Adedoyin’s counsel, who claimed that the hotel owner was in Abuja for an extended period around the time of Adegoke’s death. By refusing to testify, Adedoyin effectively agreed to the murder charge brought against him by the prosecution.