See The Story Of The RCCG Pastor Who Stabbed, Killed His Wife In Cold Blood
Akolade Arowolo, a youth pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, alongside 73 other inmates of Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, sought clemency under the Lagos State Prerogative of Mercy. This plea, directed at the Governor, comes with claims that they are reformed and deserving of pardon.
Arowolo, sentenced to death by an Ikeja High Court three years ago for the murder of his banker wife, Titilayo, on June 24, 2011, was seen pleading for another chance to amend his wrongs. Representing his fellow condemned inmates, Arowolo emphasized their remorse and the lessons learned from their past mistakes.
” Your visit has given us hope. Many of us have come to terms with our wrongdoings and, through reformation, restoration, and rehabilitation, have turned to God, seeking a second chance, ” Arowolo expressed to the committee.
Deputy Controller of Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Seye Oduntan, expressed gratitude to the committee for their visit, noting that it helped reduce tension among the condemned prisoners. Oduntan mentioned that the prison had been on edge due to reports of the government considering the execution of Reverend Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, also known as Reverend King, whose death sentence was recently upheld by the Supreme Court for the murder of church member Ann Uzor.
The Committee on Prerogative of Mercy assured that the state would exercise clemency for prisoners who demonstrated genuine reformation. Arowolo was among the 74 prisoners assessed by the committee, led by Professor Oyelowo Oyewo, set up by the governor to review their applications.
The committee’ s visit aimed to gather firsthand information from inmates eligible for mercy and pardon. Arowolo’ s death sentence, delivered in 2016, followed a thorough trial where prosecutors presented compelling evidence leading to his conviction by Justice Lateefat Okunu of the Ikeja High Court.
Titilayo, who worked at Skye Bank, was found with 76 stab wounds, as revealed by forensic pathologist Prof. John Oladapo Obafunwa. Despite Arowolo’ s claims that his wife inflicted the injuries upon herself, the court found the evidence against him overwhelming. Prof. Obafunwa’ s testimony confirmed that the nature and extent of the wounds made it implausible for Titilayo to have inflicted them on herself.
The prosecution strengthened its case with testimonies from Titilayo’ s family members, who described a troubled marriage. Despite Arowolo’ s assertions of a passionate relationship and claims that his wife was possessed and inflicted wounds on herself and him, the court upheld the evidence pointing to his guilt.
Arowolo’ s parents also testified, insisting on their son’ s good behavior and religious devotion, asserting his incapability of committing murder. However, these testimonies did not sway the court’ s judgment.
As the Committee on Prerogative of Mercy continues its evaluations, the fate of Arowolo and his fellow inmates seeking clemency remains uncertain. Their pleas highlight the ongoing debate about the balance between justice and mercy within the criminal justice system.
