Mattah Olumide, a neigbour to the murdered former Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Oyetunde Ruth, on Tuesday testified against one Adeyinka Ademakinwa arraigned over the incident.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ademakinwa, the driver of the deceased, was alleged to have killed the retired chief judge on August 19 about 7:00 a.m.
The defendant had already pleaded not guilty to the charge and was denied bail.
Olumide, who resides at No. 9, Ondo Close, Bodija Estate, was led in evidence by the Prosecuting Counsel, Abdulah Olawale.
The witness told the court that she last saw the late chief judge on August 18, 2011.
He said: “The deceased was my neigbour because we stay in the same compound and I have known her for over 10 years before she died.
“I last saw her in the morning of Aug.18, 2011 when I was going to the office and she told me that day that she wanted to renovate the motor way in the premises and spray it with anti-snake chemical.
“The deceased lived alone, but on that August 18, 2011, I saw her in the house with her driver, Adeyinka Ademakinwa, and her husband, Justice Oyetunde.
“His driver also came around that morning.”
Olumide said she did not see the deceased on August 19, 2011 and August 20, 2011.
She said one of the deceased’s daughters,Deji, had called her on phone from Lagos to ask if she had seen her to which she responded “no”.
The witness said Deji also called back on Aug. 20, 2011 to ask about the deceased, prompting her to visit the premises to check.
He said: “On getting to the deceased’s apartment, I noticed that the door was locked from inside with a padlock and I told Deji to come down to Ibadan.
“It was when Deji and her siblings, Bode and Ronke, came around that the door was forced open with a saw and we saw the deceased’s lifeless body lying in the pool of her blood.
“It was observed that the back door of the apartment of the deceased was not locked.
“The matter was later reported at the Bodija Police Station and the corpse deposited at Moli Hospital.”
Under cross examination by the defence counsel, Wale Olajide, the witness said the security dog in the compound did not bark as it usually does when someone enters the premises.
Olumide said that she did not hear the barking of the dog to indicate that somebody came in or went out of the compound on August 19 and August 20, 2011.
She said: “I did not see the deceased on these two days, except on August 18, 2011.”
Justice M.O. Fadeyi adjourned the case till February 5 for continuation of hearing.
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