… Adjourns Babalakin’s case
BY ONOZURE DANIA

Lagos — Justice Lateefat Okunnu of a Lagos High Court, yesterday, fixed December 4, 2013 for the adoption of final written addresses in the trial of Akolade Arowolo, who allegedly murdered his banker wife, Titilayo.
Arowolo, is standing trial of a one-count murder charge over the death of his wife.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge against him when he was arraigned on December 21,2011 and was subsequently remanded in Ikoyi Prison.
The counsel to the defendant, Olarenwaju Ajanaku, in a filed application dated October 25, asked the court for an order of extension of time to serve the final written address on the state counsel, Femi Adamson.
The judge granted the order, stating that “the order is granted, the time runs from today and the reply is to be filed within five days.”

Arowolo, who allegedly stabbed his wife to death on his birthday, was 31 years old when he was brought to court.
The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, had alleged that the defendant murdered Titilayo on June 24, 2011 at their residence at 8, Akindeinde Street, Isolo, Lagos.

The prosecution closed its case against the defendant on November.19, 2012, after calling 12 witnesses, who testified before the court.
The witnesses included the deceased father, George Oyakhire and her step-mother, Adetoun.
They both testified that the marriage of the defendant and the deceased was characterised by domestic violence.
Another witness, Professor John Obafunwa, a consultant pathologist and Chief Medical Examiner of Lagos State, also testified that Titilayo was stabbed 76 times.

However, Arowolo, denied the allegation that he murdered his wife.
Arowolo had claimed on May 22, while giving his testimony that his wife died after accidentally falling on a knife that she was using to stab him during a quarrel on his birthday.

He blamed his in-laws for the trouble in his marriage to the deceased.
Meantime, Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of a Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja, also, yesterday, adjourned the trial of the Chairman of Bi-Courtney Ltd., Wale Babalakin, till November 27, 2013.

The adjournment was due to the re-assignment of the case to a new judge, Justice Lawal-Akapo, by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips.
Babalakin was charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly transferring N4.7 billion on behalf of convicted former Delta State Governor, James Ibori.
He was arraigned alongside Alex Okoh and their companies Stabilini Visioni Ltd., Bi-Courtney Ltd. and Renix Nigeria Ltd.