Lagos State Police Command has confirmed a shocking incident in Badagry, where a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), 63-year-old Charles Atideka, allegedly shot and killed three people over a land dispute before reportedly taking his own life.
According to police reports, the tragic event unfolded in the early hours of Tuesday between 2:00 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. in the Atideka compound.
The deceased individuals were identified as Richard Atideka and Latevi Atideka, both from the Yovoyan community, and Muji Onilude from the neighboring Gberefu community. Another family member, David Atideka, survived the attack and recounted the horrifying ordeal.
Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed that Charles Atideka allegedly ingested a poisonous substance after committing the act and later died at a hospital.
“The suspect in the incident is dead. He killed three people and allegedly took poison after committing the act. He was thereafter rushed to the hospital, where the doctor confirmed him dead. His corpse and those of the victims have been deposited in the mortuary,” Hundeyin stated.
However, conflicting reports have emerged from the family of the deceased officer. Henry Atideka, son of Charles Atideka, disputed the police’s account and provided an alternative version of events. According to Henry, his father collapsed and died while on his way to the Badagry police station for interrogation.
“When the police visited our community shortly after the incident, my father was invited to the station in Badagry for interrogation as the prime suspect. Around 8:30 a.m., when my father had prepared to visit the police station, he called to inform me.
“But around 12:30 p.m., someone called to inform me that he had been admitted to General Hospital, Badagry, after collapsing and being rushed there. I called my brother, John Atideka, to check on him at the hospital,” Henry explained.
He further claimed that when his brother, John, arrived at the hospital, three police officers were guarding their father.
“John said my father was admitted to the intensive care unit, and he paid for his admission and some drugs before going home to change. When my brother returned around 3:30 p.m., he could not find my father or the three policemen at the unit.
“Upon inquiry, a nurse informed him that our father had died. That was when he called me,” he said.
Henry also stated that when he reached out to the divisional police officer (DPO) for clarification, the officer denied knowledge of his father’s whereabouts.
“I arrived at the hospital around 4:00 p.m. but was initially denied access to my father’s body. After calling the DPO, I was allowed to see him. I saw his cold body—he was dead. The rise in his blood pressure, caused by the various accusations, was what killed him.
“My father was a respected member of the Badagry community. He didn’t kill anyone. The police should conduct a thorough investigation to find the real culprit so his soul can rest in peace,” Henry asserted.
Meanwhile, Olatunde Bakare, the Medical Director of General Hospital Badagry, confirmed that the deceased was admitted in the afternoon and died about three hours later. However, he clarified that no tests had been conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
“The hospital has not conducted any tests to determine the exact cause of death. We do not know whether the deceased committed suicide by swallowing something or if his death was due to a rise in blood pressure,” Bakare said.
The case has raised several unanswered questions, with the Atideka family demanding a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The Lagos State Police Command has assured the public that further inquiries will be conducted to establish the truth behind the tragic incident.
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