OAU student murder: Court remands Adedoyin, six others in Ilesa prison
Osun State High Court, yesterday, remanded Dr. Ramon Adedoyin, the owner of Hiltons Hotel, Ile-Ife, and six of his workers in Ilesa Correctional Centre after their arraignment in connection with the murder of a postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) Ile-Ife, Osun State, Timothy Adegoke.
Adedoyin was arraigned amid heavy security presence before Osun State Chief Judge, Mrs. Adepele Ojo of Court 1, alongside a lady, Adedeji Adesola, 23; Magdalene Chiefuna, 24; Adeniyi Aderogba, 37; Oluwale Lawrence,37; Oyetunde Kazeem, 38; and Adebayo Kunle, 35.
The suspects were first arraigned before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja on charge CR/015/2022, preferred against them by the Nigeria Police Force. .
Adedoyin, who was dressed in white kaftan, was ushered into the courtroom with other defendants at about 8:47a.m. amid heightened tension as family members of the deceased thronged the court premises.
When the court clerk read out the 11-count-charge, they all pleaded not guilty to the charge, which bothered on conspiracy, murder, attempted felony, unlawful interference with a dead body, altering and intent to destroy evidence.
The case file number HOS/5C/2022 dated February 14, 2022 and filed February 17, 2022, was substituted with HOS/5C/2022, dated February 22, 2022 and filed March 2, 2022.
The lead prosecution counsel, Mr. M.O Omosun, told the court that the defendants committed the offence sometime between November 5, 2021 and November 7, 2021 within the Ile-Ife area of Osun State.
Omosun said the defendants, with others now at large, conspired among themselves to kill one Timothy Adegoke for unjust reasons.
”They also altered and cancelled his receipt number 9316, which indicated the payment receipt made by Timothy Adegoke to Hilton Hotel in Ile Ife.
”The deceased body was dumped with his laptop, phones, and other belongings at an undisclosed place to cover up after his murder,” the charge partly read.
He said the offences committed contravened sections 324, 306, 315, 509, 516, 519, 242, and 106 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38 Vol. 11, Laws of Osun State, 2004.
Omosun pleaded with the court to order the remand of the defendants in the correctional centre due to the magnitude of the alleged offences.
Meanwhile, a counsel to Adedoyin, Mr. K. K. Eleja, prayed the court to grant the defendant bail in the most liberal terms after furnishing the court with a written application for bail.
Eleja drew the attention of the court to count four, six, eight, ten and 11, which indicated that Adedoyin is not standing trial for a capital offence.
He cited section 157 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act of Osun State and pleaded with the court to grant the first defendant, Adedoyin, bail in affordable terms.
Eleja said though the prosecution counsel had already filed an 11 paragraph counter-affidavits on March 2, 2022 against his client for bail, he believed Adedoyin would not jump bail or tamper with the ongoing trial.
One of the counsel for the six other defendants, Mr, Rasheed Adegoke (SAN) aligned with Adedoyin’s formal application for bail.
After taking their submissions, the trial judge , Adepele Ojo, ordered that the defendants be remanded in Ilesa Correctional Centre.
But Adegoke urged the court to keep the defendants in police custody because of the congested condition of the prison custody but the judge declined and adjourned continuation of the matter till today.
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