THE family of late Timothy Adegoke has hired foremost human rights activist and senior lawyer Femi Falana against Rahmon Adedoyin, owner of Hilton Hotel, where Timothy died mysteriously on November 6, 2021.
This was revealed in a letter seen by our reporter and signed by Moses Adegoke, Bolatito Adegoke and Olugbade Adegoke, father, wife and brother of the deceased, respectively. It was dated February 3, 2022.
Part of the letter read: “We the family of Moses Adegoke have decided to appoint you as our family lawyer, to demand justice on our late son Adegoke Timothy Oluwadamilare who was murdered at Hilton Honour Hotel and Resorts, Ile-Ife.
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“We have full confidence in your expertise and professionalism and hope to get justice on the case.”
The Police had charged Adedoyin and six others to court over the alleged murder in January, 2022.
Until his death, Adegoke was a master’s degree student at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
He left Abuja on November 5 for Ile-Ife to sit for his final examination at the university.
He lodged at Adedoyin’s hotel, where he allegedly died.
He was declared missing on November 7 after his classmates discovered that he had failed to show up in class at the Moro Distance Learning Centre of the OAU.
He had told his family he would check-in at the hotel, where he usually lodged.
Curiously, rather than pay into the hotel’s account as a client, investigations revealed he made a cash transfer into the bank account of one of the employees – an act considered irregular.
The hotel had repeatedly denied that the deceased lodged at the facility before facts on the transaction emerged.
The Police consequently arrested some of the hotel’s staff, including Adedoyin, its owner.
Police charge Adedoyin, others before FCT High Court
In January, the Police charged the accused before an FCT High Court, Abuja.
But the Police could not arraign Adedoyin’s son, Raheem, and two others who are at large.
According to the case file seen by The ICIR, Adedoyin faces a charge of attempted felony, conspiracy, unlawful interference with Adegoke’s corpse, and tampering with the hotel’s receipt and CCTV camera with the intent to destroy evidence that would prove that Adegoke visited the hotel.
However, the Police excluded Adedoyin from the murder charge, which others who stand trial with him are facing.
On December 14, 2021, this newspaper exclusively reported how the coroner’s inquest showed that Adegoke died from severe bleeding due to traumatic injuries.
Standing trial with Adedoyin are: Adedeji Adesola, 23; Magdalene Chiefuna, 24; Adeniyi Aderogba, 37; Oluwale Lawrence, 37; Oyetunde Kazeem, 38; Adebayo Kunle, 35, and others still at large.
Those at large are Raheem Adedoyin, Esther Asigoh and Quadiri Moshood.
Adedoyin’s son (Raheem) managed the hotel and reportedly supervised the dumping of Adegoke’s corpse far from the hotel.
The case summary with the Police revealed that investigators found one of the white Hilux vans allegedly used in carrying the deceased’s body by the younger Adedoyin in Abuja.
Meanwhile, Adegoke’s family buried his remains on January 29.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org