Regardless of how heated an argument gets between couples, it is totally wicked for a couple to kill the other. Sadly, cases like this are on the rise everywhere across the world.
This story of Akolade Arowolo is one exceptional one, majorly because he murdered his banker wife on his birthday.
His trial began with 15 prosecution witnesses testified, including the father of the deceased, sisters, step-mother, the couple’s neighbour, security guard and their landlord. The father of the deceased came to testify against him, saying that his daughter sounded tensed when he spoke with her on the day the terrible thing happened.
He further went to say said that on a number of occasions, the deceased had moved back home after several quarrels with the husband. He said he had waned his daughter severally to report to the police but she always declined.
One of the witnesses said that when they forced the door of the couple’s apartment open the day after the incident, he saw Titilayo’s lifeless body on the bed soaked in blood.
After this witness, the sister of the deceased said that she called their sister, but Akolade was the one that answered the calls and then after, they couldn’t reach him again. The next call she heard was that of the death of her sister.
A neighbour of the family also said that he could easily see some things happening in their house.
He said, on the day of the incident, he saw a deep cut on Akolade’s palm from which blood was gushing. He further said that despite all questions asked, he just shouted at the gateman to open the door and didn’t answer any questions.
The deceased stepmother also came to witness saying
“There was a knife on the floor, a gaping hole on her chest, and a hammer on the floor. One of her eyes was gorged out. When I saw it, I thought there was nothing in the socket. Something that looked like a lump of flesh must have been chopped off from the way she was lying on the floor. They had a stormy marriage…shortly after they married, there was a quarrel, Kolade chased Omo (Omozoje)out with a knife. ”
He said, on the day of the incident, he saw a deep cut on Akolade’s palm from which blood was gushing. He further said that despite all questions asked, he just shouted at the gateman to open the door and didn’t answer any questions.
The deceased stepmother also came to witness saying
“There was a knife on the floor, a gaping hole on her chest, and a hammer on the floor. One of her eyes was gorged out. When I saw it, I thought there was nothing in the socket. Something that looked like a lump of flesh must have been chopped off from the way she was lying on the floor. They had a stormy marriage…shortly after they married, there was a quarrel, Kolade chased Omo (Omozoje)out with a knife. ”
After herm the Chief Medical Examiner at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in the person of Professor John Obafunwa who did a post-mortem on the deceased said;
“After the pathologist conducted a five-and-a-half-hours postmortem examination on the corpse I discovered at least 76 stab wounds resulting from the use of tremendous force on the chest, heart, lungs, liver, diaphragm, hands and other parts of the deceased’s body. There must have been many blows, stab wounds. It resulted in severe blood loss.
On the other end, the mother of the Arowolo also testified and said that her child is a well-behaved person who can never do such a thing.
And then, Arowolo himself gave an account of what happened that day. He said that the unfortunate incident happened on his birthday. He said his wife woke him up with a kiss, and that the disagreement started over their baby’s shopping. He concluded by saying that;
“I love her. I never thought of it and I am not that kind of person.”
After plenty back and forth, Arowolo was eventually sentenced to death by hanging. The most ridiculous thing happened after the judge sentenced him, Awolowo burst into prayers after hearing his sentence. This shocked everyone at the court.
As tragic as this might sound, it is the reality of many and at this point, no one should really be told that when he/she is in an abusive relationship, it is best the person leaves before it leads to death.
