A youth pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG),
Akolade Arowolo, has been sentenced to die by hanging for the murder of
his banker wife, Titilayo.
Pastor Arowolo could not hold back his pains after the court
ruling, he burst into a fit of prayer. Titilayo worked with Skye bank,
whilst her husband was employed. Prosecutors were able to present
compelling evidence that led to the conviction of Mr Arowolo and his
sentencing by Justice Lateefat Okunu of the Ikeja High Court, he was
handed a death sentence. Justice Okunu held in her over three hours
judgment that evidence before the court proved that Arowolo actually
murdered his wife in their matrimonial home.
Testimony in the form of a forensic report from Prof. John Oladapo
Obafunwa, a pathologist, was what the court used to determine that there
was no way the deceased could have stabbed herself to death.
Immediately after the judgment, Arowolo fell down in the dock and
started shouting “Jesus have mercy.” PM News reports that Prof Obafunwa
testified that his autopsy report revealed that Titilayo was killed
through 76 knife stab wounds.
There were claims by Pastor Arowolo, suggesting that his wife was
possessed and inflicted injuries on herself. He noted that the knife
wounds affected Titilayo’s left eye, right eye, upper chest area, right
chest and collar bone. Prof. Obafunwa pointed out in his testimony that
the deceased could not have inflicted such wounds on herself. To further
prove its case, prosecution invited some of Titilayo’s family members
who testified that Arowolo and Titilayo had always had a troubled
marriage.’
The family members included Titilayo’s father, George Oyakhire;
sister, Ijeh and mother-in-law, Mrs Adetoun Yeside Oyakhire. The three
witnesses testified that the couple lived a cat and mouse life.
They claimed that the family had at several times, settled serious
fights between the couple. None of the witnesses however saw what
actually happened on the day Titilayo died
The Herald reports that Arowolo’s co-tenant, Adewale Adeyemi also
gave evidence in the case. Arowolo’s parents testified that their son
was incapable of murder
Adeyemi in his evidence said that on the day of the incident he
heard a loud noise when he was in his apartment and later saw Arowolo
rushing out with a deep cut in his palms. He claimed to have also seen a
hammer and a knife with a broken handle in the yard. Other witnesses
such a the security man at the Arowolos’ residence, Investigating Police
Officer and an MTN Staff also gave evidence in the case.
Youth PastorArowolo broke down in tears, after the judge handed him
the death sentence, he had claimed he was innocent of killing his wife.
Having presented its case, the burden was shifted on Arowolo to defend
himself.
Expectedly, Arowolo had his personal explanation as to what
happened on the day Titilayo died. First, he claimed that he and his
deceased wife had passionate sex for two hours and kissed on the same
day she died.
0 comments:
Post a comment