The couple on their weddingWhen 30-year-old Akolade Arowolo and Titilayo tied the knot in November 2008, there was merrymaking as families, friends and well-wishers joined them to celebrate what appeared like true love. Many unmarried young men and women, who graced the occasion, wished they were in the shoes of the couple.

After a while, it was learnt that the couple had a baby girl. Both families and well-wishers were on hand to share the joy of the arrival of the baby with Akolade and Titilayo.

However, on Friday, it was with rude shock and disbelief that the residents of Aswani area of Isolo, Lagos where the couple lived, received the news that Titilayo had been stabbed in the chest and her body mutilated by her husband.

The question on everybody’s lips was: what could have gone wrong? Curious enough, Titilayo was murdered on her husband’s 30th birthday.

When PUNCH METRO spoke with a former classmate of Akolade in the University of Lagos, he said Akolade battered his wife on several occasions because he was frustrated. Akolade’s classmate, who craved anonymity, suspected that he (Akolade) was drunk and stabbed her to death on the day of the incident.

He said, “Arowolo lost his job about two years ago. Titilayo had been sustaining the family with her salaries. I heard he beat her, but she did not tell her relatives. She however confided in one of her colleagues.

“She got home one day and saw that he had sold her car. When she confronted him, he said he needed money. It strained their marriage for a while and she left the house. But she later went back.”

It was learnt that Titilayo, an employee of Skye Bank, Marina, confided in one of her colleagues that her marriage was undergoing challenges but was reluctant to leave because she did not want her daughter to be raised in a broken home.

Some of Akolade’s colleagues at the Federal Government College, Ijankin, Lagos, in 1998, who did not want their names to be mentioned because of the sensitivity of the case, described him as an easy going person, “who does not meddle in other people’s affairs.”

One of his colleagues, who gave his name simply as Tayo, after much pressure by our correspondent, said, “Arowolo was ahead of me for a year in Ijanikin. Sometimes he would be absent from school for a whole term and you would not even notice because he never got into trouble and never kept many friends.”

PUNCH METRO gathered that although Akolade was not gainfully employed, he was running a company registered as ‘Auditing Business’ and functioned as both the auditor and the Chief Executive Officer. Despite this, it was learnt that Titilayo was solely responsible for the upkeep of the family and this frequently caused friction between the couple.

One of Titilayo’s colleagues in the office, who craved anonymity said, “ Last Friday, she (Titilayo) started her leave and informed her parents she would be coming over for the weekend because her father lives in Ifako while she lived in Isolo with her husband. She was the one that even paid the house rent. She paid about N1.3m recently.

“When her relatives didn’t hear from her again, they called her phone several times but she didn’t pick her calls. Later, her husband called back to say they had a small misunderstanding, which had been sorted out.

“They asked to speak with her, but he said she was busy and would call back later. But they didn’t hear from them again. The neighbours however saw her husband jump through the window with blood stains and drove off. But since there was no screaming from the apartment or any noise to suggest they were quarrelling, the neighbours thought all was well.”

PUNCH METRO gathered that Titilayo’s body was discovered two days later with a knife still in her neck. She was stabbed severally in the face and chest.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, said he was not aware of the incident and asked that he should be given more time to find out.

But when he was called two hours later, he said, “You still have to give me more time because I just left a meeting now.

Wow, I had not bothered to read this despite seeing it since about 3 days ago elsewhere. This is shocking. Lesson for everybody advising people in a relationship. Let any of the parties leave if hatred or violence sets in.

She didn't leave the marriage because 'she didn't want to raise her kid in a broken home'. Now that she's dead, isn't it worse off? Is it not better to be alive and raise one's children as a single parent than continue in an abusive marriage?

This is truly sad. Reminds me of @Ujujoan's poem 'I got flowers' or something like that. Sad indeed.

maclatunji:

Wow, I had not bothered to read this despite seeing it since about 3 days ago elsewhere. This is shocking. Lesson for everybody advising people in a relationship. Let any of the parties leave if hatred or violence sets in.

u are soooo right. this is really sad

I've been reading this news all over places since fews hours back, and to be sincere, am extremely SAD.

I've been praying they should hang the husband. This is a wife U r supposed to cherish and love for the rest of her life.

It's really heartbreaking.

the man na pure 'were' madman

Must you marry ? All Nigerian women who want to marry by force, here's a lesson to all.

Now a toddler has been left without a mum and if the dad is sent down, without a dad. She'll probably be passed from one relative to another