Two siblings of the
50-year-old lawyer, Symphorosa Otike-Odibi, who was allegedly stabbed to death
by his wife, Udeme, yesterday narrated how they found his body.
They told a Lagos High
Court that they discovered their brother on his matrimonial bed, with his
genitals and intestines cut off, The Nation reports.
The deceased’s friend, Mr.
Stanley Grange-Koko, also testified.
The widow, Udeme, 48, is facing
a two-count charge of murder and misconduct preferred against her by the state.
Udeme reportedly committed
the offence on May 3, at their Diamond Estate, Sangotedo, Lekki, Lagos home.
She pleaded not guilty and
was remanded in Kirikiri prison.
Led in evidence by
Attorney-General Mr. Adeniji Kazeem (SAN), Grange-Koko said the deceased’s
younger sister, Dr. Anwuli Akwukwuma, called him around 2am on May 2 to go to
the deceased’s home and check what was happening.
Grange-Koko said he went
there, but could not enter the house.
He said no one answered
when he knocked the gate.
Grange-Koko said he
returned to his house, but rushed back to the deceased’s home when Akwukwuma
called back, expressing fear that life might be involved.
He said he went with his
wife.
“When we got to the estate,
we called the security men to go with us. On arriving at the place, we climbed
the fence to gain entry to the compound.
“We broke the front door to
gain access to the house because nobody answered us,” Grange-Koko said.
He said he ran upstairs and
saw blood on the floor, adding that he traced the deceased to the bathroom and
bedroom.
The witness said together
with the security men, they broke the door and entered the deceased’s room.
He said they saw him lying
on the bed with his wife, Udeme and there was blood everywhere.
“The deceased’s intestines
were outside. I ran out and met his sister heading for the room. I tried to
stop her from entering the room, but she ran past me and entered,” Grange-Koko
said.
He said the sister ran out
of the room and shouted that her brother was dead.
Grange-Koko said the
defendant was taken to hospital.
“When I got to the
deceased’s home and saw him lying on the bed with his intestines out, I checked
him and saw that he was already cold. I noticed that he had died,” he said.
Otike-Odibi’s sister,
Akwukwuma and younger brother, Andrew, who were the second and third witnesses,
corroborated Grange-Koko’s evidence.
Akwukwuma said she called
Grange-Koko because he lived in the same estate with the deceased and was his
friend.
She said their mother
informed her about the quarrel between Otike-Odibi and Udeme, adding that the
deceased had complained to her that his wife attacked him with a knife.
Justice Adedayo Akintoye
adjourned till October 10.
Wicked
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