Lagos Police have arraigned the wife of a retired officer and her three children over the mysterious death of their father.

Officers at the Force Criminal and Intelligence Department Alagbon, in Lagos, identified the deceased officer as retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, Joseph Idehen, who died at sixty-four, had six wives and eleven children.

Idehen was said to have allegedly died mysteriously after his daughter known as Ruth reportedly gave him food in twenty-sixteen, at his Number five, Odetola Street home, in Alagbado, Lagos, barely one year after he retired from the police service, family members told the police.

They said efforts to conduct an autopsy to find out the cause of his sudden death had proved abortive as four of his eleven children with their mother, took his corpse to an unknown destination and buried him.

The extended family members said they reported the death to the police at the Department following several failed efforts by his other children and family members who wanted detectives to exhume his corpse.

Commissioner of Police at General Investigations Section of the Department Annex Alagbon Lagos ordered the arrest of the siblings and their mother.

He later ordered the Homicide Unit to arraign the accused in a suit marked LD/ 6510E/2018 at the Criminal Division, Federal High Court, Igbosere, in Lagos, in line with the directives of the Inspector General of Police on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The late Idehen

The siblings were identified as one Samuel Idehen, Michael Idehen, Ruth Idehen and their mother Mrs Taiwo Idehen, who was described as a Pastor at the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministry Ishawo-Ikorodu Lagos.

The accused according to the police are facing a six-count charge bordering on murder, forgery of death certificate, falsification of documents and theft of millions of naira from the deceased’s bank accounts.

Count 1 says : “Taiwo Idehen (his estranged wife) Samuel Idehen, Michael Idehen,(his sons) and their sister Ruth Idehen on or about the 4th of July, 2016 at number 5 Odetola Street off Merit Road Alagbado Lagos in the Lagos judicial division did conspired to kill one Joseph Idehen contrary to Section 233 of the Criminal Law Ch.C17 Col 3 Laws of Lagos state 2015.”

Count 2 says: “The accused forged the death certificate with the intent that it may be used or acted upon as death certificate of one Joseph Idehen property of the Ota General Hospital thereby committed forgery, contrary to section 365(3)(d) of the Criminal Law Ch.C17 Vol3 Law of Lagos State 2015.”

Count 3 reads: “The accused did use false death certificate to convey the corpse of the deceased Joseph Idehen to Aragba Delta State for burial using false documents contrary to section 366 of the Criminal Law Ch C17 Vol3 Law of Lagos State 2015.”

Count 4 reads: “That you Michael Idehen sometimes in 2016, at First Bank Lagos, in Lagos Judicial Division did withdrew the sum of N286,000 from Account Number 3002677898 that belonged to the deceased Joseph Idehen thereby committed stealing contrary to Section 287(5) of the Criminal Law Ch C17 Vol3 Laws of Lagos State 2015.”

Count 5 says: “The accused sometimes in 2016 at Zenith Bank, Lagos judicial division, did withdrew the sum of N2.1million from Account Number 2005882038 that belonged to the deceased Joseph Idehen and stole same thereby committing stealing contrary to section 287(5) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”

Count 6 reads: “That the accused on or about the 4th of June 2016 at 5 Odetola Street, off Merit Road Alagbado, Lagos murdered one Joseph Idehen an offence contrary to section 223 of the Criminal Law Ch C17 Vol3 Law of Lagos State 2015.”