A police Inspector, Benson Ajie, on
Tuesday at an Ikeja High Court said Akolade Arowolo, the man accused of killing
his banker wife, Titilayo Arowolo, told the police that he sustained injuries
while struggling over a knife with the deceased on the day of the alleged
murder.
Ajie is one of the police detectives
at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba who investigated the
alleged murder.
The policeman, who is the 11th
prosecution witness, said when Akolade was brought to the SCID on June 27, 2011,
he had deep wounds on his palm and navel area and when asked how he came about
the injuries, he said he and his wife were involved in a struggle over a knife.
Ajie, while being led in evidence by
the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Olabisi Ogungbesan, said, “On June
27, 2011, Akolade was transferred from the Aswani Police Division to the SCID
over allegations of murder. Consequent upon that, Akolade wrote a statement
under caution. He however said he could not continue to write the statement and
signed before handing it over and was detained.
“The next day, I took him to the
clinic at SCID for treatment because he was in pain due to the injuries. He
said he was struggling over a knife with the deceased when we asked him how he
came about the injuries. He had cuts on his palm and navel area and was also
limping.
“Because of the seriousness of his
pains, I took him to Falomo Police Hospital on June 29, 2011. He was treated
and discharged on that same day. On June 30, 2011, Akolade volunteered to write
another statement and it was done under caution and he signed it.”
Ajie said on July 4, 2012, Akolade
wrote yet another statement under caution and signed.
Upon request by Ogungbesan, Justice
Lateefa Okunnu admitted the three statements written by Akolade as exhibits
P48, P49 and P50.
Ajie said, acting under the
instruction of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the SCID, he took
Akolade to Prof. John Obafunwa, the chief pathologist of the state on July 5,
2011.
He said he visited the scene of the
alleged crime once with some detectives at the SCID when they were looking for
the auto mechanic (who is alleged to have fled the crime scene with Akolade on
the day of the incident).
Ajie said, “Akolade’s father
requested the release of his son’s vehicle and I was detailed to go to LUTH
where he (Akolade) was admitted at the time because I needed to get permission
from him before we could release the vehicle.
“Akolade had just been operated upon
so I had to write out a note which Akolade then signed.”
The note, which was dated September
2, 2012, was admitted by the court as P51.
Ajie, while being cross-examined by
Akolade’s lawyer, Mr. Olanrewaju Ajanaku, said the defendant also sustained
injuries after jumping from their two-storey building at 8, Akindeinde Street,
Isolo.
When asked why Akolade was taken to
see the pathologist, Ajie said, “Obafunwa checked the injuries on Akolade’s
body. He took measurement and that’s all I understood from what they were
doing. Akolade also said he was limping because he jumped from the two-storey
building.”
Ajanaku further asked if police
investigations revealed that there were issues between the couple before the
incident.
Ajie said, “From the evidence we
gathered, there were always problems between them and they could not stay a
week without having one. One aged woman that lives opposite their flat, as well
as a relative of the deceased, one Madam Bisi, claimed that there were always
problems between the two.”
The 12th witness for the prosecution,
Mr. Baye Cletus, a police inspector attached to the Aswani Division, while
being led in evidence by the DPP, said it was Akolade’s father who first came
to report Titilayo’s murder to the police.
Cletus said, “On June 25, 2011, I was
at the station when one Mudsahiru Arowolo came around 5:45pm, saying that he is
the father of one Akolade of 8, Akindeinde Street, Isolo. He said he was called
by the landlord that his son’s vehicle was seen at the station but Akolade was
not there. So, he went to the house and he in company of relatives of the
deceased, knocked on their door but no one answered.
“Mudashiru said the door was forced
open and the deceased, one Titilayo (Omozoje), was found dead. So, I went with
Mudashiru to the scene and I saw the corpse lying on the bed, faced up in a pool
of blood. There was a kitchen knife beside the corpse. There was blood on the
pillow and bedspread.
“The deceased was wearing a blue pair
of jeans and a white top soaked in blood. There was a deep cut on her left
breast and was stabbed in the right eye. There were several bruises all over
her face and neck. We proceeded to Ikeja General Hospital to deposit the
corpse.”
Cletus told the court that he
retrieved a hammer, a knife and frying spoon from the scene. The items which
had been registered as exhibits were identified by the witness.
He said he met Akolade on June 27,
2011 after he was brought to the station by his relatives, adding that the
defendant wrote a statement at the station and signed.
As the case was going on, Akolade was
seen clutching his stomach. This made his lawyer to request that the matter
should be stood down so that Akolade could be attended to.
After about 20 minutes, Akolade was
still writhing in pains.
Okunnu said, “The court observes that
the defendant is very uncomfortable. The matter is adjourned till June 28,
2012.”
