Arowolo Sentenced To Death By Hanging For Murder of Banker Wife
A Lagos High Court in Ikeja has sentenced to death Akolade Arowolo for the
murder of his banker wife, Titilayo, who he repeatedly stabbed to death at
their residence in Isolo, Lagos, on June 24, 2011.
Justice Lateefat Okunnu, in her judgment on Friday, held that even though
there was no eyewitness to the incident, the circumstantial evidence adduced
by the prosecution had proved the murder charge against the convict beyond all
reasonable doubt.
"I pronouce the defendant guilty and accordingly sentenced to death,” the
court held.
Okunnu relied on the testimony of the forensic pathologist, Prof. John
Obafunwa, who testified that there were at least 76 stab wounds found on the
deceased.
Contrary to the convict’s claim during trial, Obafunwa had testified that the
injuries must have been caused by sharp weapon applied on the deceased could
not have been self-inflicted.
The judge said, “Applying the eliminating induction by eliminating other
factors; judging by this case the factors, including the possibilities of
another person entering the flat to stab the deceased to death, the
possibility of the deceased stabbing herself and the possibility of that the
wounds were caused in autopsy room; it is my finding that no other persons but
the defendant who stabbed Omotunde to death.
“This established the causal link between the death and the defendant.”
The 32-year-old man, who was arraigned for murder on December 21, 2011, was
said to have murdered his wife, Titilayo, at their residence at No. 8,
Akindehinde Street, Isolo, Lagos.
The deceased was then an employee of Skye Bank Plc.
Obafunwa, who carried out the autopsy on the corpse of the deceased, had said
there were at least 76 stab wounds on the body.
He described some of the wounds as penetrating to heart, and damaged the organ
and others including, the diaphragm, lung and the liver of the deceased.
“I summarise the death of the deceased as caused by multiple injuries on the
heart and abdomen due to knife and sharp blunt force trauma,” Obafunwa had
told the court.
The prosecution led by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs.
Olabisi Ogungbesan, called 15 witnesses among whom were police officers and
the father, sisters and step-mother of the deceased.
Source:
Punch
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