Slain banker: Deceased had only 3 wounds -Accused’s father

A defence witness in the ongoing trial of Akolade Arowolo, a youth pastor that allegedly killed his banker wife, Titilayo Omozoje, on Thursday, while testifying before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, stated that the deceased had only three wounds.
The witness, Mudashiru Arowolo, who is Akolade’s father, while being led in testimony by Akolade’s counsel, Olanrewaju Ajanaku,  stated that he saw only three wounds.
Mudashiru’s testimony is contrary to the evidence of Professor John Obafunwa, Chief Pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, who testified that the deceased had 76 stab wounds on her body as verified during autopsy.
According to him, it was a shock when he read in the newspaper that the deceased had 76 stab wounds on her body.
When the Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs Olabisi Ogungbesan, during cross examination, confronted Mudashiru with the fact that different prosecution witnesses had said they saw many wounds on the body of the deceased, Akolade’s father insisted that he saw only three wounds on the left part of her chest.
He also admitted that he made statement at the state Criminal Investigation Department that he “didn’t know why Akolade decided to kill his wife” when Mrs Ogungbesan tendered the copy of the statement marked by the court as exhibit B1 to confront him.
He, however, explained that he wrote it in response to a question asked by the Investigating Police Officer while being re-examined  by Ajanaku.
He explained further that his son had wounds on his palm which was a confirmation that he was trying to wrest a knife from his wife.
While giving his evidence-in-chief,  he said he knew that the couple had been having quarrels but that Akolade was never violent.
“My son complained that the marriage was characterised by undue interference by our in-laws, both the father-in-law. Mr George Oyakhire and the stepmother-in-law, Adetoun Oyakhire.
“Immediately after the marriage, the couple started buying baby things because Omozoje was pregnant before they got married. My son told us that Omozoje requested for N500,000 and he said he could only afford N100,000. That was one quarrel. Immediately, Omozoje left for her parents’ house,” Mudashiru said.
“Another instance of their quarrel was after she had been delivered of their baby in the hospital. Kolade said the stepmother-in-law had insisted she would keep the placenta. Then a quarrel ensued. But the medical director of the hospital gave it to Kolade, being the baby’s father. But from the hospital she went to her father’s house,” Awolowo said.
He also told the court that once, he heard the deceased threaten to kill his son and then herself, adding that Omozoje had left the husband’s house since January 2011 so he was surprised to see the dead body of his daughter-ln-law on June 25, 2011 in Akolade’s flat, after they had forced the door open.
Justice Okunnu adjourned the matter till December 4, 2012 for continuation of defence.
Akolade is standing trial on a one -count charge for allegedly murdering his banker wife in their home at Isolo on June 24, 2011.

Tribune