The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has fixed Friday, February 21 to deliver judgment in the case of alleged murder, filed against Akolade Arowolo, charged with stabbing his wife, Titilayo, to death.
Our judiciary correspondent, Shola Soyele reports that the date is contained in a hearing notice, issued to the Prosecution and Defence counsel.
Mr Arowolo was arraigned on December 21, 2011, before Justice Lateefat Okunnu, on a one-count charge of murder. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded at the Ikoyi Prisons.
In the charge, the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mrs Olabisi Ogungbesan alleged that the accused murdered Titilayo on 24 June, 2011 in their residence at 8 Akindeinde St., Isolo, Lagos.
In proof of the charge, the DPP called 12 witnesses before closing its case against the accused on November 19, 2012.
The witnesses includes the late Titilayo’s father, George Oyakhire and her step-mother, Adetoun, both of whom testified that the marriage was characterised by domestic violence.
Another witness, Prof. John Obafunwa, a Consultant Pathologist and Chief Medical Examiner of Lagos State, had also testified that Titilayo was stabbed 76 times.
However, Arowolo, who testified before the court on May 22, blamed his in-laws for the trouble in his marriage.
He denied the allegation that he murdered his wife
Arowolo claimed that Titilayo died after accidentally falling on a knife she was using to stab him during a quarrel on his birthday.
In his final written arguments to the court, counsel to Arowolo, Olanrewaju Ajanaku, had submitted that there was no substantive evidence linking his client to the murder of his wife.
Mr Ajanaku maintained that since none of the prosecution witnesses witnessed the alleged fight between the couple, their testimonies were mere hearsay.
The lawyer also submitted that it would be improper for the court to convict his client based on the evidence provided by persons who were not present at the scene of the incident.
He urged the court to discharge his client since none of the prosecution witnesses were able to directly link his client to the murder of Titi.
But the Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs Olabisi Ogungbesan, had countered Mr Ajanaku’s submission saying that the state had provided enough evidence for the court to convict Mr Arowolo.
According to the DPP, the evidence provided by the prosecution showed that the defendant was the only person present with the deceased who forensic analysis proved was killed by multiple knife stabs.
She further argued that the defendant was seen with blood stains on his car by the police moments after the alleged fight with his late wife.
Mrs Ogungbesan also submitted that Arowolo’s act was intentional since he allegedly stabbed the wife more than 76 times.
She urged the court to convict the defendant as charged.
