The widow of late businessman and politician, Bamidele Akingboye, Mrs Christiana Akingboye, has faulted moves she described as a renewed probe into her husband’s death, accusing the Lagos State Police Command of abuse of power, breach of due process and unlawful handling of his remains and personal effects.
Akingboye, who addressed journalists at the weekend, said the actions of the police persisted despite a legal advice issued by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, which, according to her, cleared her and her children of any wrongdoing.
She appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the Senate and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene, alleging that the conduct of the police after her husband’s death amounted to deliberate marginalisation of the deceased’s immediate family.
According to her, the DPP’s advice, issued after investigations, effectively brought the matter to a close and removed any lawful basis for continued police involvement.
She said once the family was exonerated, further interference by the police lacked criminal justification.
The widow also alleged that sensitive investigative documents, including the DPP’s legal advice, were leaked and circulated online by a blogger based outside the country before the police officially communicated the outcome of the investigation to the family.
She said the police had yet to formally brief her or her children on the conclusion of the investigation, adding that they only became aware of the legal advice through reports circulating online.
Akingboye further accused the police of mishandling her late husband’s personal belongings.
She said officers collected his mobile phones and medications from her as part of the investigation but later released the phones to her estranged stepson, while the medications were neither returned nor accounted for.
She noted that repeated demands by her lawyers for the return of the deceased’s personal effects were ignored, a development she said raised concerns about the integrity of the investigation and the chain of custody of evidence.
The widow said her lawyers had formally written to both the police and the morgue, warning that her husband’s body and personal belongings should not be released to anyone without the consent of the immediate family or an order of court.
Despite this, she said the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, invited both parties to a meeting on January 23, 2026, where only the return of the family’s passports was resolved.
She added that although the police promised to convene another meeting to address outstanding issues, no such meeting was held.
She alleged that days later, the family learnt from a third party that her husband’s remains had been released to her estranged stepson and unidentified persons without her knowledge, consent or a court order.
Citing the Coroner’s System Law of Lagos State, Akingboye maintained that the role of the police is limited to investigation and ends after the post-mortem examination and the issuance of legal advice by the DPP.
She alleged that while her estranged stepson was accorded preferential treatment, she and her children were deliberately kept in the dark, despite several petitions written to the Inspector-General of Police.
Expressing fears for her safety and that of her children, Akingboye called for an independent investigation into the matter, urging the authorities to ensure accountability.
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She said the country must not allow power to override justice, even after death.
