Attempt to hide evidence on Titi Arowolo's case by police

Dear All,

This is a call to renew our call for justice on Titilayo Omozoje Arowolo, the slain Skye Bank official's case. Information reaching us is that there is an attempt by the police to withhold some vital evidence from the court. In a telephone conversation with the family lawyer earlier today, he raised concerns on attempts by the police to withhold some vital evidence from the scene of the crime from the court. He pointed out that 2 strategic photographs were missing from the photographs the police presented during the arraignment of Kolade Arowolo.
 

We have all been involved in this call for justice not just for the deceased Titi, but for as many 'other' Titi's that are and may find themselves in similar situation if nothing is done.

Please use every available medium you can access to spread this message to the Nigerian Police and the Judiciary that we are watching to see how this case will play out.

Best Regards

Kate Ibeanusi

Programme Officer, Human Rights Education

Project Alert on Violence against Women

21 Akinsanya Street, Off Isheri Road, Ojodu Berger

Lagos Nigeria

234 806 983 9295

Here's a report by Wole Balogun of  The Sun Newpaper which was published online on Friday, July 29, 2011

Family of murdered banker raises the alarm - Help, they want to kill this case!

Members of the family of late Titilayo Arowolo, the young lady allegedly killed by her husband, Akolade, in their Lagos home on June 24, are still very angry. They are understandably angry with the man they believed murdered their daughter for ritual purposes. But that is not all. They are also angry with the police authorities, who they believe are not too sincere in their investigations.

The mutilated body of Titilayo, a staff of Skye Bank, was discovered in their home in Isolo by her family members. The husband, the number one suspect, is already having his day in court.
But the Oyakhire family isn’t impressed. The family’s lawyer, Mr. Nelson Ekoh, said the police were still holding on to vital evidence that would affirm the family’s allegation.
Titilayo’s family members are also insisting that the deceased was a victim of ritual killing, asserting that her body was badly mutilated by her husband.

Ekoh, who spoke with our correspondent on Wednesday, said the family was convinced that Titilayo’s murder was for ritual purposes based on the discoveries made at the scene of the murder. He, however, accused the police of failing to produce some of the photographs taken at the scene in court at the last arraignment of the suspect.

According to him, the two photographs which he noted showed vividly that Titilayo was killed for money rituals included one showing the N100 note that was soaked in the lady’s blood as well as another showing an object that was picked on the floor at the scene of the crime.

“The objects which looked like baby diapers were actually some bits of flesh from one of Titi’s eye that was plucked out,” he said. “We found that some parts of Titi’s body parts were missing at the scene of the crime. I can say that one of her eyes was missing. Then at the scene of the crime, in the pool of her blood was something that looked like a diaper but was actually bits of Titi’s flesh from her eyes.

“On the day that Akolade was arraigned, two photographs were not brought along with the ones supplied by the police. And I commented on that. One of the photographs is showing the N100 note that was soaked in blood and the photograph showing the object that we picked on the floor at the scene of the crime. I believe that the photographer is trying to be smart or the person that brought the photographs is trying to be smart because I don’t know the reason why they had to do that.

“I took the photographer to the scene of the crime. He took a picture of Akolade’s car when it was at the police station together with the picture of the N100 note. But when we now got inside the house, the guy who came with the police and claimed to have come with them as their photographer said we should allow him to take the other photographs. We allowed him, thinking that everything would be brought together. So, the photographer I took along did not take the photograph of the object that we picked on the floor. But I have told the police that they must present those pictures.”
Ekoh also expressed optimism that the autopsy report on Titi’s corpse would affirm the allegation that Titi was a victim of ritual killing. “The autopsy has been done but the pathologist, who did it, has travelled out of the country and would not be back until August 9. I saw the result itself and he was correcting some parts of it before he travelled.”

“So, as from August 9, we should be expecting the full text of the results. Now the police only charged Akolade Arowolo for murder. The situation of the offence might be more than that. Moreover, if some parts are missing, I still rightly believe that the reports would reveal all that. And then one can conclude that they wanted to use her for rituals.”

Ekoh said the family wanted the law to take its course.
When the reporter contacted Akolade’s father on phone and asked him his position on the issue, the old man sounded angry. He said: “Look oga, I have no comments to make. The police are on the case. We cannot say anything. Please, leave me alone. I don’t want to react to anything.”
Ekoh, however, said Akolade’s father had been appealing to Titilayo’s family. “The last day we were in court, the father of Akolade was there and he was crying and appealing to the family of Titilayo. But we want the law to take its course.”