According to reports, Charles Atideka, 63, the deputy chief of police, reportedly killed three people on the land of Badagry, Lagos state, and he claimed his life.
Police confirmed the tragic incident to journalists on Thursday, revealing that Atideka shot two family members and another person in the early hours of Tuesday.
The victims were allegedly believed to be Richard Atideka and Latevi Atideka in the Yovoyan community, and Muji Onilude, who is close to the Gberefu community, were murdered by former police officers and unnamed cohorts.
David Atideka, a survivor of the attack, a relative of the deceased, tells the painful incident. He said the murder took place between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. in the Atideka compound.
According to police, after the Cruel Act, the former officer allegedly ingested a toxic substance, lost consciousness, and was later taken to a hospital where he was confirmed dead.
Lagos State Police Command spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the incident.
He said “The suspect in the incident died. He killed three people and allegedly killed the poison after committing the act. He was later taken to the hospital and the doctor confirmed that he was dead.”
He further added that the bodies of the victims and Atideka’s bodies had been stored in the morgue for further investigation.
Son’s controversial suicide claim
However, the deceased’s son Henry Atideka strongly questioned the police’s claim of suicide. According to him, his father collapsed on his way to the Badagry police station. Atideka was allegedly invited by the police to become the main suspect in the murder.
Henry provided Vanguard with detailed instructions on the incident, saying his father called him around 8:30 a.m. to inform him that he was heading to the police station. But at 12:30 pm, he received a call informing his father that he had collapsed and was taken to the General Hospital in Badagri.
“My brother, John Atideka, checked him in the hospital. He found three police officers guarding our father, who was admitted to the ICU,” Henry explained.
According to Henry, his brothers later discovered that their father had disappeared from the ICU without any trace of three policemen.
After inquiring, a nurse told him that their father had passed away. He immediately contacted the Department Police (DPO) for the situation, but was told that the DPO had no information about the death of his father.
Henry expressed frustration at the situation, claiming that the police should conduct a thorough investigation to reveal the truth behind the death of his father.
“I arrived at the hospital around 4:00 pm and was initially denied access to my father’s body. After calling the DPO, I was allowed to see him.
“When I saw his cold body, I was told that his death was caused by an elevated blood pressure caused by the alleged increase.” He said.
He continues “My father is a respected member of the Badagry community. He didn’t kill anyone. The police should find the real culprit so that his soul can rest in peace.”
Olatunde Bakare, medical director of Badagry General Hospital, confirmed to Vanguard that the deceased was brought in the afternoon and died about three hours later.
However, the hospital has not conducted any examinations to determine the exact cause of the death. Bakare said, “We don’t know if the deceased committed suicide by swallowing something or if his death was caused by an elevated blood pressure.”
