But the defense counsel led by Yusuf Alli, SAN insisted before the court that there was no evidence that his clients murdered Adegoke
The owner of Hilton Hotel in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Dr. Raheem Adedoyin, and two staff have been sentenced to death by hanging over the murder of a Masters degree student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, Timothy Adegoke.
The court presided over by Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Oyebola Ojo, found Adedoyin and three of his staff guilty of murder and conspiracy.
Ojo held that circumstantial evidence confirmed that Adedoyin and his staff killed Adegoke and tried to conceal their crime.
Security was beefed up at the entrance and premises of the Osun State High Court, Osogbo, ahead of the judgment.
Adegoke died mysteriously at Hilton Hotels, Ile-Ife in 2021 and the owner of the hotel, Dr. Raheem Adedoyin with six of his staff – Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwole Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem Adebayo Kunle and Adedeji Adesola – have been standing trial on 18 counts of conspiracy, murder, felony, indecent interference with the corpse, alteration, and cancellation of receipt and oath-taking to prevent justice.
The prosecuting counsel, Femi Falana, SAN told the court that the defendants committed the offence as charged.
But the defense counsel led by Yusuf Alli, SAN insisted before the court that there was no evidence that his clients murdered Adegoke.
He also tackled Falana over fiat to prosecute the case before the Chief Justice of Osun, Justice Oyebola Ojo.
Judgment was reserved for today on the fiat and the charge levelled against the hotel owner and his six staff.
There was heavy security presence of policemen screening everybody going inside the court.
Policemen also manned different strategic places inside the court premises while some manned the entrance of the courtroom.