Justice Lateefat Okunu rules against Akolade Arowolo after a lengthy trial involving forensic evidence, family testimonies, and years of conflicting claims.
The Ikeja High Court in Lagos has delivered a major judgment in a case that has captured national attention for years. Akolade Arowolo, a youth pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has been sentenced to death after being found guilty of murdering his wife, Titilayo, a banker and mother.
Justice Lateefat Okunu, who presided over the case, gave a detailed ruling lasting more than three hours, explaining that the prosecution successfully proved that Titilayo’s death could not have been self-inflicted. The judge emphasized that the evidence presented by the state, including expert forensic review, pointed directly to Arowolo as the perpetrator.
One of the most crucial pieces of evidence was the testimony of Professor John Oladapo Obafunwa, a respected pathologist. His forensic findings contradicted Arowolo’s claim that his wife had harmed herself during an episode he described as “spiritual possession.” The court accepted Obafunwa’s conclusion that Titilayo’s injuries were inconsistent with self-harm, supporting the prosecution’s argument of intentional killing.
Additional testimony came from family members of the deceased, including her father, George Oyakhire; her sister, Ijeh; and her mother, Mrs. Adetoun Yeside Oyakhire. They painted a picture of a troubled marriage marked by frequent disputes. According to them, the couple’s relationship had deteriorated to the point where relatives often intervened to settle their conflicts.
Although none of the family members witnessed the events on the day Titilayo died, their accounts of the couple’s ongoing problems supported the prosecution’s narrative that the marriage was volatile.