I saw husband’s hands soaked in blood, guard tells court

The trial of Mr. Akolade Arowolo, alleged to have killed his banker wife, Titilayo, last year continued, yesterday, with the security guard to their residence, telling the court that he saw Arowolo on the fateful day with his hands soaked in blood.

The security guard, Mr. Saidu Husseni, who was led in evidence by the state Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs. Olabisi Ogungbesan, informed the court that he saw Akolade washing blood off his hands while urging him to hurriedly open the gate and that he did not return to the house the same day.

He said: “I saw him cleaning his hands which was stained with blood and he told me to open the gate quickly so that he can drive out.”

Husseni told court that he later saw a blood soaked cloth and some irons stained with blood near Arowolo’s apartment in the four storey building.

Meanwhile, the court admitted as exhibits, the kitchen knife, which was allegedly used to kill the deceased, four mobile phones and photographs taken by the police at the scene of the murder.

Arowolo, is standing trial before Justice Lateefat Okunnu on a one-count charge of murder. He was alleged to have stabbed his wife to death on June, 24, 2011, at their Akindeinde Street, Isolo, Lagos.

Husseni, the fourth prosecution witness in the case, said he was at home on the day of the incident when Akolade and a friend earlier drove into the compound at mid-day and spent about an hour in his apartment before leaving hurriedly in his Honda Accord car and did not return to the house on that day.

The fifth witness, Mr. Titus Ogbonna, from Homicide Section, CID, Yaba , Lagos said he led the investigation after the matter was transferred to them from Aswani Police Station.

He said: “When we got to Aswani Police Station where the accused vehicle was kept as exhibit, we observed that there was blood stains on the wheel steering, the driver’s seat and on the floor of the driver’s side.

“We also discovered a N100 note stained with blood on the floor of the car, which was recovered and kept as exhibit.”

He said a police photographer; Gift Eneche, took photographs of the car and at the Arowolo’s residence, when the team later visited the place for further investigation that same day.

The matter was adjourned till March 20, for continuation of trial.

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Belgian gunman kills 4, injures 122 in shooting spree before killing selfmurd

A lone gunman brought carnage to the Belgian city of Liege, Belgium yesterday Tuesday 13th 2011, spraying bullets at Christmas shoppers and hurling a grenade at people waiting for a bus, killing four and injuring 122 people before shooting himself dead. A number of grenades were found on his dead body.

33year old Nordine Amrani, who had spent time in jail for offences involving guns and drugs, had left his Liège home with a backpack, armed with hand grenades, a revolver and an FAL assault rifle.

Justice officials said Amrani had been summoned to answer police questions that morning on an undisclosed matter, but never turned up.

Armani walked alone to a busy city centre square, then got onto a platform that gave him an ideal view of the area below, which was decorated with a huge Christmas tree and crowded with shoppers.

From there, he lobbed three hand grenades towards a bus shelter that serves 1,800 buses a day. The explosions sent shards of glass from the shelter across a wide area. He then opened fire upon the crowd.

As soon as the shooting began, hundreds fled the square as well as a nearby Christmas market. Video from the scene showed the crowds, including a large group of children, surging through the city centre to seek cover, some still carrying shopping bags.

It remains unclear what motivated the attack.

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