Ondo man who murdered pregnant wife receives death sentence by hanging
An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure on Thursday, February 23, sentenced one Oluwaseun Olabode to death by hanging for killing his 8-month pregnant wife, Adaeze Anya Olabode.
According to the prosecution led by H.M Falowo Esq, a Chief Legal Officer, the accused person on April 3, 2020, at about 7:00pm in Oke-Ogba Estate, Akure, did beat Adaeze 0labode, his wife with a blunt object on the right side of her abdomen while she was heavily pregnant, which subsequently led to her death. The case of murder was reported on May 5, 2020 through a petition written to the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, by one Dr. Henry Orumen esq on behalf of the family of the deceased, Mrs Blessing Adaeze Olabode, against Olabode Oluwaseun. In his testimony, the father of late Blessing Adaeze Olabode nee Anya disclosed that his deceased daughter suffered violent maltreatment from her husband, Olabode Oluwaseun, the defendant and the mother-in-law, Stella Olabode. He testified further that at a point in their marriage, the deceased attempted suicide and left a suicide note but he waded into the matter and brokered peace between the couple. He stressed that their entire family were aware of the maltreatment. “After my daughter’s death on April 14, 2020, her corpse was abandoned at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Owo, until the intervention of my immediate younger brother,” he stated. Late Adaeze’s mother told the court that her daughter’s husband, Oluwaseun, informed her via a phone call that her daughter was sick while the phone was placed in the deceased’s ear but she could not hear her.
He stated that he was informed by the mother of the deceased, Oladipupo Comfort that the defendant hit her on the right side of the abdomen during an argument on the issue of how he spent the money she asked him to withdraw on her behalf.
He said that he was also informed by one Pastor Ajibade that several times he had received phone calls from the deceased asking him to help pacify her husband whenever they quarreled.
Another witness, one O.E Pelemo, a consultant pathologist stated that he performed an autopsy on the corpse of Adaeze Blesslng Olabode.
He testified that he noticed irregular bruises and abrasions on the right side of the lower part of the deceased’s abdomen, and found the cause of death to be from a wound caused by a blunt force trauma to the abdomen which resulted to internal wound and bleeding.
He said that he prepared the autopsy report and signed it.
One Insp. Adaran Adebayo State CID,
Akure testified that a case of murder was reported through a written petition to the office of the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command.
He said that he led the team that investigated the case and that the statement of the complainants and their witnesses were freely recorded while the defendant was invited and his statement was obtained after administering cautionary words.
He stated that investigation of the matter revealed that the deceased and the defendant got married in 2014, and was pregnant with their second child, which was found dead in her womb few days before her demise.
He further testified that prior to her death, they had a quarrel concerning the manner in which the defendant spent some money within the period before the deceased was rushed to the hospital.
Inspector Adaran said that the autopsy report conducted on the corpse of the deceased posited that irregular bruises and abrasions found on the right side of the lower part of the deceased abdomen caused a trauma which was so intense to have ruptured her uterus.
He stated that this caused of the complications that led to the death of Adaeze Blessing.
The trial judge, Justice A. Adebusoye, following a three- year trial, said that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. He declared Olabode Oluwaseun guilty as charged and sentenced him to death by hanging.