17th September, 2013
A Nigerian court in Ikeja, capital of Lagos State has fixed 2 October, for the adoption of final written addresses in the long-running trial of Akolade Arowolo, charged with the murder of his wife, Titilayo,a bank worker.
Justice Lateefat Okunnu on Tuesday directed the prosecution and defence to file and serve the processes before the next adjournment date.
Arowolo, 31, was accused for allegedly stabbing his wife, to death, throwing up a trial that has lasted more than 20 months.
He was arraigned on 21 December, 2011, on a one-count charge of murder and had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The accused, was thereafter, remanded in Ikoyi Prisons.
The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), alleged that the accused murdered Titilayo on 24 June, 2011 in their residence at 8 Akindeinde St., Isolo, Lagos.
The prosecution, led by Mrs Olabisi Ogungbesan, had closed its case against the accused on 19 November,2012, after calling 12 witnesses.
The deceased relatives, including her father, George Oyakhire and her step-mother, Adetoun, had testified that the marriage was characterised by domestic violence.
Another witness, Prof. John Obafunwa, a Consultant Pathologist and Chief Medical Examiner of Lagos State, had also testified that Titilayo was stabbed 76 times.
However, Arowolo, who testified before the court on 22 May blamed his in-laws for the trouble in his marriage.
He denied the allegation that he murdered his wife.
He claimed that Titilayo died after accidentally falling on a knife she was using to stab him during a quarrel on his birthday.