The suspect, Oladapo, was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on murder, robbery and assault occasioning harm contrary to Section 221, 295 (2)(a) and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

Part of the charge read that Oluwaseun Oladapo‎ on the 4th day of July 2014 at about 0300hours at No 1, Harmony Estate, Ifako-Ijaiye, Iju, Lagos, in the Ikeja Judicial Division whilst armed with an offensive weapon, to wit 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.

He also murdered one Cecilia Owolabi by stabbing her on the chest and assaulted Abiola Owolabi and Folahanmi Fadipe by stabbing them with a knife.”

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The deceased Cecilia Owolabi was said to be the late Fadipe’s mother-in-law.

After Oladapo had pleaded not guilty to the charge, his counsel, Mr. Worer Obuagbaka, informed the court that he got the file a few minutes before the proceedings, urging the court to allow him time to go through the file.
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He said: “The proof of evidence was served on me this morning, less than an hour ago.

“My perusal of the proof of evidence indicates there was autopsy report available. This is a serious offence and the defendant needs adequate time to prepare for the trial.”

Prosecution team, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mrs. Idowu Alakija, told the court of their readiness to proceed as two of their witnesses were in court.

In his ruling, Justice Ipaye agreed the defence should be given ‎sufficient time and adjourned the case till August 17 and 18, 2015.

It would be recalled that Fadipe was stabbed to death on the night of July 4, 2014 by an invader at his residence in Harmony Estate in Ifako-Ijaiye.

It was reported that at about 11:30 p.m. when the estate was plunged into darkness following power outage, the lawyer sent his son to go and switch on the electricity generating set.

The boy was coming out of the house to do his father’s bidding when the suspect, who was armed with a knife seized him and ordered him to take him to his father.

As soon as the assailant got to Fadipe, he stabbed him in the neck and back before his daughter ran out of their apartment to call for help.

One of the security guards in the estate rushed in and as the knifeman was trying to snatch the guard’s gun, another guard came in and shot the intruder in the leg.

He was eventually overpowered and arrested but he had also stabbed Fadipe’s mother in-law, son and daughter.

The alleged assailant was apprehended by the community vigilante group and charged before the Yaba Magistrate’s Court in Lagos before the matter was transferred to the State High Court.