Murdered banker: Court fixes December 4 for adoption of final addresses

Arowolo murdered wife in 2011.

An Ikeja High Court on Thursday fixed December 4 for the adoption of final written addresses in the trial of Akolade Arowolo, who is charged with the murder of his wife, Titilayo.

Justice Lateefat Okunnu also granted Mr. Arowolo’s counsel, Olarenwaju Ajanaku, an extension of time to file his written address.

She directed the state prosecutor, Femi Adamson, to file his reply to the written address within five days, after being served by the defence.

Mr. Arowolo, 31, was charged to court for allegedly stabbing his wife, a banker, to death.

He was arraigned on December 21, 2011, on a one-count charge of murder and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The accused was, thereafter, remanded in Ikoyi Prison.

The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, alleged that the accused murdered Ms. Arowolo on June 24, 2011, at their residence in Isolo, Lagos.

The prosecution closed its case against Mr. Arowolo on November 19, 2012, after calling 12 witnesses.

The witnesses included the father of the deceased, George Oyakhire, and her step-mother, Adetoun, who testified that the Arowolos’ marriage was characterised by domestic violence.

Another witness, John Obafunwa, a Consultant Pathologist and Chief Medical Examiner of Lagos State, also testified that Ms. Arowolo was stabbed 76 times.

However, Mr. Arowolo, who testified before the court on May 22, blamed his in-laws for the trouble in his marriage.

He also denied the allegation that he murdered his wife. He claimed that his wife died after accidentally falling on a knife she was using to stab him during a quarrel on his birthday.

(NAN)