By Joseph Undu

CONTROVERSY is trailing the circumstances that surrounded the sudden death and disappearance of the corpse of 65-year-old retired Superintendent of Police, Joseph Iden, in Lagos, last year. The incident took place at his 5, Odetola Street, Alagbado area barely one year after he disengaged from the force.

Late-Joseph-Iden

According to family sources, the retired officer fell terribly ill on July 4, 2016 after he allegedly ate a meal  prepared by one of his daughters who had visited him for her wedding introduction. Crime Alert gathered from sources that the deceased officer was rushed to a nearby private hospital where he was confirmed dead on arrival.  His corpse, it was learned was later deposited in the mortuary at Ota General hospital, in Ogun State.

However, problem started when four of his eleven children allegedly hijacked his corpse and buried it in an unknown location in Delta State instead of Edo, his state of origin without the consent of other children and his extended family members.

Disappearance of corpse from mortuary

The controversy surrounding the sudden death of the retired officer and the alleged disappearance of his corpse from the mortuary has brought a lot of problems among four of his children and extended family members.

The deceased’s brothers and other relatives alleged that they have not seen his corpse for months after his death. They said, “Instead of giving our brother a family burial that befits his status as a hero, four of his children hijacked his corpse and buried it in an unknown location in Delta State instead of Edo State.”

It was learned that before the burial, relatives of the deceased and his other children had petitioned the Lagos State police command urging the police to investigate the cause of death of the retired officer. A senior cousin of the deceased, Pa Sunday Ogomo, in a petition written by Milestone Partners, a law firm on behalf of the family said: “We got information from the deceased’s daughter, Ruth Iden on July 4, 2016 that her father was dead and she had deposited the corpse in the hospital morgue.

“We were shocked because retired SP Joseph Iden had, the previous day, attended his daughter’s wedding introduction. His son, Precious, who was living with him had gone to fix a phone for the deceased but when he came home, he found his father rolling on the floor in excruciating pains.

“He said, he tried to call Ruth who went upstairs after feeding his father. At this point, a neighbour heard the noise and came to assist. They took Joseph Iden to a private hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival. His daughter Ruth took the corpse and deposited it in the mortuary at State Hospital, Ota in Ogun State.

“Our brother and other relatives living around said Ruth did not inform them before taking him to the morgue. When the family members came to the house, they found Ruth’s mother, a woman who had left the deceased more than twenty years ago, in the house at Alagbado. Joseph Iden had elder sisters and brothers, and extended family members. We are from Evboesi village, Orhionmwon local government area in Edo State. We called a family meeting inviting Ruth to come and explain how her father died. Her brothers came but she did not show up. We called several meetings but she still did not come.

“We were surprised that she got married twelve days after her father’s death. We saw the photos of her marriage on Face book. As this was going on, the family, through our lawyers, wrote a letter to the State Hospital at Ota Ogun State, placing a caveat on the release of the body. We went on to petition the Lagos State police command because we needed an autopsy to be conducted on the cause of the death as we suspected that he was murdered.”

It was gathered that the case was transferred to the Homicide Section, State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti Yaba. A Police source at the Homicide Section said they invited Ruth Iden, and her mother, Mrs. Taiwo, a pastor at Mountain of Fire Ministry, but they did not honour the invitation. The suspects were said to have instead petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of police in charge of Zone 2 police command, Onikan, Lagos alleging threat to life. Sources said police could not get the hospital to release the corpse for autopsy because the daughter of the deceased was with the number that would aid the release of the corpse.

Release of  corpse

Speaking further, Pa Ogomo said, “While the mystery surrounding the death of Mr. Iden is still under investigation, his other children took their father’s corpse to Delta State for burial. We saw it on Face book. The deceased is not from Delta State but from Edo State. This is sad, we want the body exhumed for autopsy to be conducted.”

In his comment, the first son of the deceased, Scot Iden said, “My father had 11 children from six women. I am the first son of the family. I reside in Ghana and immediately returned to Nigeria after I learnt about my father’s death. All my efforts to see my father’s corpse proved abortive. My father married my mother and he had children from six other women. But, I am the first son. My father was a very generous man and a philanthropist.

“He was the chairman of our Village Association in Lagos. He helped many people but we are sad that he died and some of his children from a third woman, used soldiers to hijack his corpse while we are trying to get his autopsy done. Together with their mother, they took his corpse outside our village in Edo State and buried him like a chicken somewhere in Delta State.

“My father told me that he would like to be buried in his house at Alagbado. I saw the photos of his burial on Facebook and I am still in shock. My relatives, my father’s brothers and sisters and other children were not present at the burial. In the obituary they printed, they stated that my father is from Delta State. We are not happy the way the Police handled the matter. We want the corpse exhumed and autopsy conducted as we suspect that he was murdered.”

When Crime Alert tried to speak with one of the children, named Samuel, who was suspected to have taken part in the alleged secret burial of the father, he furiously responded, “Are you the court?  I don’t know how you guys (Journalists) just call somebody and said you want to hear story.

Alleged  secret burial

“I don’t want to know who you heard it from. But please I would appreciate you don’t call my number or any of my younger ones again. I don’t even know the people you are talking about. What ever those people told you is your business. If you want to publish it go ahead but when I go out there and see it, I know what to do. My father died and some people are just claiming to be his family.”

Spokesperson for Zone 2 Police Command, SP Dolapo Badmos, who confirmed the story said: “Yes, I am aware of the case. One side of the family reported the case against the order. They brought the case before us and after looking into it, the police do not determine who own dead bodies. They were advised to go civil, since it is a civil matter.”