A police officer’s wife, Mrs. Taiwo Idehen, and her three children, accused of killing her husband, Mr. Joseph Idehen, a retired Superintendent of Police, yesterday attacked, assaulted and threatened to deal with a journalist immediately after their case came up before a Lagos high court sitting at Igbosere.

Taiwo and her three children, Samuel, Michael and Ruth, immediately they left the dock pointed at a journalist with the Vanguard newspaper, who was sitting in the courtroom and warned her to report the case well. When the journalist made an attempt to leave the courtroom, Taiwo and her children rushed at her and started insulting the journalist again.

Samuel, the second defendant said he was going to beat the journalist up for replying his mother. The third defendant, Michael, while argument was ongoing, took a picture of the journalist and said he was going to post it online, called her unprintable names, while Ruth, the fourth defendant, said she was going to make some investigation concerning the journalist and deal with her, adding that by the time she is done with her, she won’t be able to report cases again.

The journalist replied that she had no business with them, and that they cannot threaten or tell her how to report a case she witnessed in court .

Earlier, a prosecution witness, Mr. Joseph Omorose, had told the court that he doesn’t know where the body of the late Joseph Idehen was. He was led-in-evidence by police prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, the legal officer of the General Investigation Department of Force CIID. He told the court that the deceased died two weeks after his visit to Benin.

In his explanation before Justice Adedayo Akintoye about the Benin customs, he said when a man dies, his first son will inform the family of the man of what led to his death. He continued 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, that it was the fourth defendant that was with him when he died.

The witness was cross-examined by the defence counsel, Mr. Kennedy Osunwa. He further said when he heard about the death of SP Idehen, he asked the defendants to bring his body so that autopsy can be conducted, but till today, they are yet to see the body. He was asked how many wives the deceased had, he said the deceased had six women who gave birth for him.

The defence counsel also asked him whether the witness was present at the burial, to which he replied: “It is from your mouth that I am hearing that he was buried. In Benin customs, an elder brother doesn’t go to his younger brother’s burial”.

Justice Akintoye subsequently adjourned further hearing to December 3. The defendants are facing a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, stealing, use of false document and forgery preferred against them by the 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, 5, Odetola Street, 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 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 body 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.

Meanwhile, a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere, yesterday ordered a house help, Joseph Ogu, to be remanded in correctional home, over alleged murder of his 89-year-old employer and her 36-year -old daughter.

The trial judge, Justice Modupe Nicoclay ordered that the defendant remanded following his plea of not guilty to the charge brought against him by the state government. He was arraigned on a three count charges of murder and stealing.

The prosecution counsel, Mr Gbadebo Oshuala, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence on June 19, 2019 at no 4, Ogunlana Drive, Surulere

Area of Lagos, at about 9: 30pm.

Oshuala said that the defendant killed one Adejoke John, by strangulating her to death and also killed Oreoluwa John, by stabbing her to death. (Mother and daughter)

The prosecutor further alleged that the defendant whilst armed with a knife, robbed the deceased of her car, phones and Plasma TV.

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