Alleged killer of Fadipe denies allegations

OLUWASEUN Oladapo, who allegedly killed human rights crusader, Kunle Fadipe, has denied the allegations of murder, levelled against him at a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja.

The suspect denied all the charges before Justice Atinuke Ipaye yesterday, when he opened his defence.Oladapo alleged that the Nigerian Police doctored the statement tendered as exhibits as he claimed he could not write in English language even as he responded to some questions asked in English in open court.

It would be recalled that the police charges against the suspect ‎ read that on July 4, 2014 at about 0300hrs at No 1, Harmony Estate, Ifako-Ijaiye, Iju, Lagos in the Ikeja Judicial Division, whilst armed with an offensive weapon, a knife did rob one Kunle Fadipe of a large sum of money and murdered him by stabbing him severally on numerous parts of the body. That he “Murdered one Cecilia Owolabi by stabbing her on the chest, assault one Abiola Owolabi and Folahanmi Fadipe by stabbing them with a knife.”
Oladapo had pleaded not guilty to ‎the charges preferred against him.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, the defendant in his examination-in-chief by his counsel, Worer Oduagbaka told the court that he (Oladapo), an aluminum works fabricator, lived at no 20, Oladito Street, Fagba, Lagos.

He testified before the court yesterday that on July 4, 2014 he was at home from morning till noon and later went to Idiagbon Street, Ifako to watch football at a viewing centre.

According to him, “I left the viewing centre at 10p.m. that night, it was raining and I wanted to take a bus to Fagba, but instead I took shortcut to my house, passing through Harmony ‎Estate to avoid traffic.

“On‎ my way, I was stopped by some people who demanded for my identity card, they didn’t allow me to pass. I didn’t quite understand what they were saying and thus I wanted to force my way, so, they attacked me and I retaliated.

“They overpowered me, tortured me and tied my hands to my back. That time, they had already wounded me.“And suddenly I heard a gun shot, then a second gun shot and I felt a pain in my leg, lost consciousness and when I opened my eyes
I found myself in the police station. The police were asking me various questions but I couldn’t remember giving them any answer. Sensing my condition, they therefore, took me to the hospital. I guess I fainted due to my heavy bleeding. When I regained consciousness, my head had been bandaged.

“I never told police that I picked a knife in late Fadipe’s house and demanded for N500, 000.00. I don’t even know who Fadipe is; I was not the one that wrote that statement. The police did not ask me anything, I did not stab Fadipe’s in-law.”

When his lawyer asked him what he knows about the statements, he insisted that he did not say anything to the police, he did not know Fadipe and he did not know anybody.

During cross-examination by the lead prosecution counsel, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs. Idowu Alakija, the suspect told the court that he could not remember the name of his landlord, adding that he was arrested on the road.
Regarding the statement he volunteered to the police, he said, “I was just rambling, I don’t even know who was asking me question, because I was covered with blood and I was not fully conscious. I did not go to anybody’s house.

Responding to whether police know his girl friend (Ayomide) before the incident, ‎he said no, that he cannot remember his girl friend’s surname.

However, when he was shown the pictures taken at the scene of the incident, which had already been tendered as exhibits, showing the wall and window, he admitted that he was the one in the picture, but he insisted that the picture was taken at the police station.
The judge subsequently adjourned continuation of the hearing till March 11, 2016.