Body of missing Superintendent’s whereabouts unknown – witness

An Igbosere High Court heard on Wednesday that the whereabouts of the body of the late Superintendent of Police, Mr. Joseph Idehen (rtd.) is unknown and that autopsy is yet to be conducted on him.
His widow, Mrs.Taiwo Idehen and her three children, Samuel, Michael and Ruth are standing trial before Justice Adedayo Akintoye for allegedly killing her husband, Mr. Joseph Idehen.
Mr Joseph Omorose, a witness in the ongoing trial of the defendants, told the court that he does not know where the body of his cousin, the late Joseph Idehen, is up till now.
Led in evidence by police prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, the Legal Officer of the General Investigation Department of Force CID, Omorose said the last time he saw the deceased was when he visited Benin.
He said that Idehen died two weeks after his visit to Benin.
Omorose said, “I received a call that he was dead two weeks after he visited Benin”.
He explained that according to Benin customs, when a man dies, his first son will inform the family of the man of what led to his death.
The witness told Justice Adedayo Akintoye that when the second and third defendants came to inform him about the death of his cousin, he asked them what led to his death, but they informed him that they weren’t there when he died.
“They told me that it was the fourth defendant that was with him when he died”, he said.
Omorose said when he asked them to go and bring the fourth defendant, the next thing he saw were petitions that were written by the defendants to Police headquarters Zone 2, Abuja before they were later referred back to Alagbon.
During cross-examination by the defence counsel, Kennedy Osunwa, the witness said when he heard about the death of SP Idehen, he asked the defendants to bring his corpse so that autopsy can be conducted, adding that till date, they are yet to see the corpse.
Asked for the number of wives the deceased had, he said that he had no wife before he died but that six women gave birth for him.
Responding to questions from the defence counsel, he said he does not know anything about the deceased being buried adding, “in Benin customs an elder brother doesn’t go for his younger brother’s burial”.
However Justice Akintoye has adjourned the case until December 3, for continuation of trial.
The defendants are facing a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy , murder, stealing, use of false document and forgery, preferred against them, by the men of Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, FCIID, Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos.
The Police prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offences at the deceased’s residence, at 5, Odetola Street, off Merit Road, Alagbado, Lagos, on July 4, 2016.
He said Taiwo, who had divorced the deceased over 29 years ago, allegedly conspired with her three children to murder the retired senior Police officer in suspicious circumstances.
They were also alleged to have forged a death certificate from Otta General Hospital, Ogun State, which was used in conveying the deceased’s corpse to Aragba in Delta State.
According to the prosecutor, the offences are contrary to Sections 233, 365 (3)(d), 366 and 287 (5) of Criminal Law of Lagos State.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.