A twenty-four-year-old man, Oluwaseun Oladapo, charged with the killing of a Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Kunle Fadipe, said on Wednesday that he is not guilty.
The accused has also been charged with the killing of Fadipe’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Cecilia Owolabi.
He was re-arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Wednesday.
But he pleaded not guilty to each of the five counts filed against him by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
The said counts bordered on murder, robbery and assault occasioning harm, said to be contrary to Section 221, 295 (2)(a) and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
In the particulars of the offences, the prosecution alleged that the accused person, while armed with a knife on the night of July 4, 2014, invaded Fadipe’s house at Harmony Estate, Ifako-Ijaye, robbed the victim of huge sums of money and thereafter stabbed him severally with a knife, leading to Fadipe’s death.
A portion of the charges also read, “That you, Oluwaseun Oladapo, on the 4th day of July 2014, at about 03:00hrs at No. 1 Harmony Estate, Ifako-Ijaiye, Iju Lagos, in the Ikeja Judicial Division, whilst armed with an offensive weapon, murdered one Cecilia Owolabi by stabbing her on the chest, and assaulted one Abiola Owolabi and Folahanmi Fadipe by stabbing them with a knife.”
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After the plea of the accused had been taken, the prosecution, led by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs. Idowu Alakija, informed the court that it was ready to open trial, adding that its witnesses were in court.
But counsel for the accused person, Worer Obuagbaka, told the court that he had only just been briefed on the case and needed time to study the file and prepare for the defence of the accused person.
Obuagbaka said, “The proof of evidence was served on me this morning less than an hour ago. My perusal of the proof of evidence showed that there was autopsy report available. This is a serious offence and the defendant needs adequate time to prepare for the trial.”
After listening to the parties, Ipaye said the defence deserved to be given sufficient time to prepare for trial and consequently adjourned till August 17 and 18 for trial to commence.
Oladapo was reportedly apprehended on the night of July 4, 2014 at Harmony Estate, Ifako-Ijaye, Lagos, by men of the Oodua Peoples Congress in the area, while allegedly trying to flee after fatally stabbing Fadipe and attacking his family.
