The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 17, AIG Ajani Omolabi, has called for peace among the aggrieved children of the late Mrs Kehinde Hannah Bodunde over the mysterious death of the woman and the circumstances surrounding her unapproved and secret burial in Ondo State.

The AIG, who confirmed receipt of the petition on the mysterious death of Bodunde and the court cases surrounding the incident, urged the family to sheath their swords and await the outcome of the court’s decision.

The eldest son of the deceased woman, Oluwafemi Ojo, has raised the alarm over threats to his life for questioning the circumstances surrounding his mother’s death and secret burial.

The deceased, Bodunde, was said to have died after an undisclosed illness earlier in the year, but Ojo suspected foul play regarding her death, believing that his mother may have been used for ritual purposes.

Speaking on the circumstances surrounding the death, Ojo explained that some of his siblings had suspiciously hidden their sick mother away from him, the firstborn.

He said that apart from him, only the daughter of the late woman, Yetunde, and the wider family knew nothing about their mother’s illness for three years, only to be informed of her mysterious death on 13 January 2025.

Ojo said his siblings kept her remains away from the entire family, prompting him to seek the intervention of the Deji-in-Council, which ruled that the hospital should not release the corpse until the family agreed on the burial arrangement.

He said the Deji-in-Council also ruled that the corpse should not be buried in their father’s house at Idanre, but unfortunately, they flouted the Deji’s order.

He, however, said he approached the Akure Magistrates’ Court when he sensed foul play, and the court issued an order that the mortuary must not release the corpse to the siblings pending the determination of the case.

He said that the family’s lawyer, Mr Femi Emodamori, on 6 May 2025, wrote a petition to the Area Commander, Fanibi Area Command in Akure, over alleged theft and ritual mutilation of Bodunde’s remains.

According to him, his siblings kept their sick mother away from the other children and the entire family for three years but later mysteriously announced her death on 13 January.

His words, “The Deji in council intervened in the matter and ordered that the hospital must not release the corpse to my siblings and they must not bury my mother’s remains without agreement of the children or Bodunde’s family, but unfortunately they flouted the order.

“The family later got information that the deceased had been buried by suspected ritualists at midnight, much earlier than the court order had been served on them. As the first son, I am not even sure if my mother’s body is being buried, and I’m not sure if her body parts are missing.

“My life is in danger now, as my siblings have threatened to kill me because of the mysterious death of our mother, which I raised the alarm about.”

He said that the court gave an order that the corpse must not be buried, and the court papers were served on them.

Ojo added that his siblings again bypassed the court order with case file No. HIGB/22/2025 and went ahead to bury the corpse even without family permission, on the same day the court order was served on them.

According to him, “The Magistrate Court again graciously granted another court order of the corpse to be exhumed for further investigation by the police, but the police are delaying the matter. I smell foul play from the side of the police for delaying the order of the court of competent jurisdiction,” Ojo alleged.

The police boss said his office was aware of the case before the court and that the matter had been the subject of a petition to the office of the AIG Zone 17.

He said, “I will enjoin the members of the public and in particular the parties involved to choose the part of peace as violence, agitation, and pointing accusing finger does not bring good results

“There are operational procedures and protocol required before an exhumation can take place, and the area commander Urban has ever since the order of court served instructed the parties to come over for the process and the required document to be signed, but all to no avail.

“I want to make it clear that our officers and men are professional in discharging their duties.”(Nigerian Tribune)