By The News Editor
Retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Charles Atideka, 63, has reportedly taken his own life after allegedly killing three people in a violent dispute over land in Badagry, Lagos State.
The police confirmed the tragic incident to newsmen on Thursday, revealing that Atideka shot and killed two family members and one other individual during the early hours of Tuesday.
The victims, identified as Richard Atideka and Latevi Atideka, both from the Yovoyan community, and Muji Onilude from the neighboring Gberefu community, were allegedly murdered by the former police officer and an unnamed accomplice.
David Atideka, a survivor of the attack and a relative of the deceased, recounted the harrowing events. He stated that the killings took place between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. inside the Atideka compound.
According to the police, after the brutal act, the ex-police officer allegedly ingested a poisonous substance, lost consciousness, and was later rushed to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead.
Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident.
He said, “The suspect in the incident is dead. He killed three people and allegedly took poison after committing the act. He was later rushed to the hospital, where doctors confirmed him dead.”
He further added that the bodies of the victims and that of Atideka have been deposited at the morgue for further investigation.
However, Henry Atideka, the son of the deceased, has strongly disputed the police’s claim of suicide. According to him, his father collapsed while on his way to the Badagry Police Station for questioning. Atideka was allegedly invited by the police as the prime suspect in the killings.
Henry, who provided a detailed account of the events to Vanguard, stated that his father called him around 8:30 a.m. to inform him that he was heading to the police station. But by 12:30 p.m., he received a call informing him that his father had collapsed and was rushed to the General Hospital in Badagry.
“My brother, John Atideka, went to check on him at the hospital. He found three policemen guarding our father, who was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU),” Henry explained.
According to Henry, his brother later found that their father had disappeared from the ICU, with no trace of the three policemen
