Titilayo Omozoje murder: Pathologist affirms that she died of more than 76 stab wounds

A Pathologist with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Professor John Oladapo Obafunwa, on Monday testified for the prosecution in the trial of Akolade Arowolo, who was alleged to have murdered his wife, Titilayo Omozoje.

explained that during the autopsy carried out on the deceased, he discovered that the late banker had a minimum of 76 stab wounds that were inflicted on her by someone as the findings showed a concentration of stab wounds from her chest to her abdomen on the left side.

According to the pathologist, he conducted both external and internal examination of the deceased’s body during autopsy, adding that he noticed multiple stab wounds and some incised wounds involving her chest, arm and abdomen.

He further revealed that during his internal examination of the body, he found various wounds consistent with wounds from sharp weapon with a single edge blade as well as a double edge blade.

The wounds according to the professor affected the left eye, right eye, upper chest area, right chest and collar bone left armpit also included a 10 x 5cm rectangular area that has multiple individual injuries on the left side of her chest and breast overlaying the heart

Prof Obafunwa, was led in evidence by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution Mrs Olabisi Ogungbesan, before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja.

The pathologist supported his testimony with slides of pictures on a CD, stating that the autopsy revealed a gaping wound which was seen as a black hole in the chest region.

According to him, “The chest wall was lost due to multiple stab wounds, there was damage to the diaphragm, left side of the liver, breast area and repeated stab wounds to the lungs.”

The Prof further revealed that his forensic investigations showed that the injuries could not have been self-inflicted as the penetration was from the chest to the back and there were stab wounds to the stomach wall.

The final result of the autopsy according to him is that the death was caused by multiple injuries in the chest and abdomen due to multiple sharp and long force trauma.

He also identified an alleged weapon which he confirmed was consistent with some of the wounds on the deceased body.

Superficial injuries

Speaking on his examination of the deceased’s husband, Akolade Arowolo who is charged with the murder of  late Titilayo, Professor Obafunwa stated that there were wounds on his hand and abdomen and he also had a limping gait which he admitted may be because he jumped to the ground from the fourth floor.

He however added that the twelve injuries he examined were not penetrating but superficial and two of them might fall into the category of defence wounds.

He however noted that though not all the injuries fell into the time frame the incident was said to have occurred as some of the injuries he said might have been on the body earlier.

In response to an allegation by the defence counsel, Olanrewaju Ajanaku, that the pathologist was the one that inflicted the stab wounds on the deceased when the corpse was in his custody, Prof Obafunwa asked how he could do that when he was not insane.

The case has been adjourned till the 22nd of October 2012 with the prosecution expected to call its last witness.