Retired 63-year-old Deputy Superintendent of Police Charles Atideka reportedly took his own life after allegedly murdering three individuals over a land dispute.
The police command in Lagos State confirmed the incident on Thursday, which occurred in Badagry.
On Tuesday, the former officer is said to have shot and killed two family members and another individual during the ongoing land dispute.
The victims—Richard Atideka and Latevi Atideka, both from the Yovoyan community, and Muji Onilude from the neighbouring Gberefu community—were killed by Atideka and an unidentified accomplice.
A survivor of the attack, David Atideka, recounted the harrowing experience, stating the incident transpired between 2:00 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. at the Atideka compound.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the police command, confirmed the suicide, stating that Atideka took his own life after committing the offences. He allegedly ingested a poisonous substance, became unconscious, and was later rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“The suspect in this tragic incident is deceased. He killed three individuals and subsequently ingested poison. He was taken to the hospital, where the doctor declared him dead. His body, along with those of the victims, has been deposited in the mortuary,” he said.
However, Henry Atideka, son of the alleged perpetrator, offered a conflicting account of events.
He claimed that his father, Charles Atideka, collapsed and died while en route to the Badagry police station for questioning.
Mr Henry stated that his father had been invited by the police as the prime suspect in the killings.
Disputing the suicide assertion, he mentioned that medical records from the General Hospital in Badagry indicated otherwise.
“When the police arrived in our community shortly after the incident, my father was summoned to the police station in Badagry for questioning as the prime suspect. Around 8:30 a.m., he called to inform me of his plans to visit the station.
“But by 12:30 p.m., I received a call stating he had collapsed and was rushed to General Hospital, Badagry. I then asked my brother, John Atideka, to check on him at the hospital,” he recounted.
Mr Henry noted that when John arrived at the hospital, he found three policemen guarding their father, who was under suspicion for the killings.
“John revealed that our father had been admitted to the intensive care unit. He paid for his admission and medication before leaving to change. However, upon his return around 3:30 p.m., he discovered both our father and the policemen were no longer in the unit.
“When he inquired, a nurse informed him that our father had died. That was when he called me,” he explained.
Mr Henry recounted his attempts to contact the divisional police officer regarding his father’s whereabouts, but the DPO claimed to have no knowledge of the matter.
“I arrived at the hospital around 4:00 p.m. but was initially denied access to my father’s body. After contacting the DPO, I was finally allowed to see him. His cold body lay there—he was dead. I believe the stress from the various accusations caused a dangerous spike in his blood pressure, which ultimately led to his demise.
“My father was a respected member of the Badagry community. He did not kill anyone. I urge the police to conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the real culprit, so his soul may rest in peace,” he said.
Olatunde Bakare, the medical director of General Hospital Badagry, confirmed that the deceased was admitted to the hospital in the afternoon and died approximately three hours later.
“The hospital has yet to conduct any tests to ascertain the exact cause of death. We cannot determine whether it was a suicide or if his death resulted from complications related to high blood pressure,” Mr Bakare stated.
