Doctor Suspects Wounds On Lawyer Accused Of killing Husband To Be Self-Inflicted

A medical doctor, who is the seventh witness in the trial of a
lawyer, Udeme Otike-Odibi, charged with stabbing her husband
(Symphorosa) to death, says he suspects that wounds found on the
accused were self-inflicted.

Udeme, was on June 13, arraigned by the police before an
Igbosere High Court in Lagos State, on a two-count charge of murder
and misconduct with regard to a corpse.

She, however, pleaded not guilty, and was remanded at the
Kirikiri Prisons.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the witness, Dr Booyemi
Oyeneyi, said that the 48-year-old accused was brought to his
hospital at 7.30a.m on May 3, by some men who claimed to be her
neighbours.

Oyeneyi, who works at Safeway Hospital, Sangotedo, Ajah, Lagos,
was led in evidence by Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, the Lagos State
Director of Public Prosecutions.

”On examining the defendant, I saw that she had six stabbed
wounds on her abdomen, one on her tigh and a cut on her right
finger.

“Her respiration was normal and the wounds were not deep but
superficial.

“A test was conducted to check her blood level and to see if
there was any internal bleeding; also an abdominal scan was carried
out and the results were okay. There was no injury to her internal
organs.

“She was stable; I was curious that she sustained such injuries
without any injury to the internal organs.

“My suspicion is that the wounds might have been
self-inflicted,” the doctor said.

Defence counsel, Mr Oluseye Bamijoko, however, cross-examined
the witness to ascertain how he could determine when an injury was
self-inflicted.

The doctor, while answering questions from the counsel, admitted
that he was not a forensic expert to determine a self-inflicted
wound.

The prosecutor called another witness, Dr Shokunle Soyemi, an
anatomical pathologist, who said he conducted autopsy on the late
Symphorosa Otike-Odibi.

Soyemi said that during external examination of the body, there
was a stabbed wound on the abdomen, an incised injury on the left
finger, an injury on the groin area and a sutured injury on his
manhood.

He said that after external examination, the body was opened up
and there was much blood in the abdominal cavity.

“We saw destruction of the menstry vessel (organs that holds the
intestines).

“After all the examination, it was discovered that the man lost
3.5 litres of blood from the injuries; death was ascribed to
destruction of the menstry vessel and massive loss of blood,”
Soyemi said.

He was cross-examined to ascertain if embalment of body could
destroy evidence as to the cause of death.

The pathologist had told the court that the body was embalmed
before autopsy was carried out.

He said that embalment could not destroy evidence as to the
cause of death.

The prosecutor called another witness, SP Joy Akpan, who
narrated how she got to the alleged crime scene.

Akpan narrated what she saw and the exhibits recovered at the
crime scene.

Justice Adedayo Akintoye adjourned the case until Jan. 23,
2019.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prosecution
had during arraignment told the court that Udeme committed the
offences on May 3, on Diamond Estate, Sangotedo, Lekki, Lagos
State.

It said that Udeme stabbed her husband and mutilated his corpse
by cutting his genitals.

The alleged offences contravene Sections 165 (b) and 223 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Section 165 (b) provides for five years’ imprisonment for
misconduct with regard to a corpse, while Section 223 stipulates
death sentence for murder. (NAN)

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