The police in Lagos have arrested Mr Justin Iwerebor and his wife, Anthonia, in connection with an investigation into the death of businessman Solomon Iwerebor.

The couple are the parents of Pearl Okafor, wife of the founder of Grace Nation International Church, Pastor Chris Okafor.

Solomon, who lived in Germany with his wife and children, was reportedly staying at Justin’s residence during a visit to Nigeria before his death in September.

Justin and Anthonia were arrested by police operatives from Panti, Lagos, on November 2.

Their arrest followed a September 15 petition by the law firm of Dr Charles Mekwunye (SAN) on behalf of the deceased’s family.

The family requested that the couple be questioned as part of efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding Solomon’s death.

In the petition addressed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the family alleged that Solomon had lost contact with other relatives after moving into Justin’s residence more than two years ago.

According to the petition, when the family could no longer reach Solomon, his daughter, Jade, who lives in Germany, contacted Pearl to enquire about her father.

Pearl reportedly told her that Solomon had taken ill, could no longer speak and had been taken to Benin City, Edo State, for treatment.

The family said it was subsequently informed of his death by a third party.

The family also alleged that its requests for information about the circumstances of Solomon’s death had not yielded satisfactory answers.

It said it wanted details of his illness, the medical facility where he was reportedly treated and any available medical records.

The family alleged that Solomon was an active member of Pastor Chris Okafor’s Grace Nation International Church and had spent money seeking spiritual intervention from the cleric.

The family wants the police to establish whether the pastor and his wife might have information relevant to establishing Solomon’s health condition and movements before his death.

However, no evidence was provided in the material available to establish that the pastor or his wife was involved in the circumstances surrounding the death.

The allegations are yet to be established against any individual and remain under police investigation.

A representative of the cleric said he would address the matter at the appropriate time.

Family demands forensic probe

At a press conference last Tuesday, two sisters of the deceased, Mrs Stella Iwerebor and Mrs Udo Hamis, alongside their lawyer, Dr Charles Mekwunye (SAN), said they were distressed by the circumstances surrounding their brother’s death and the lack of information about events before and after it.

The family said efforts to establish the nature of the illness that reportedly led to his death, the hospital where he was treated and the whereabouts of his remains had not yielded the information it sought.

The sisters said they wanted the police to conduct a thorough investigation to establish the cause and circumstances of their brother’s death.

They said: “All we want is proper investigation. Our brother has died under very disturbing circumstances and we want to know how he died.

It is hard that we have lost one brother and another one and his wife are suspects in the death, but we want answers.

“We want the police to conduct a thorough investigation and not bow to any pressure. We want to know where his corpse is, all that transpired before and after his death, and why we were not informed four days after he died. Our family deserves answers.”

Petition to IGP

Before the couple’s arrest, the law firm of Charles Mekwunye SAN had petitioned the Lagos State Police Command, requesting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Solomon’s death.

The petition also sought information on the whereabouts of his remains, the identity and location of the hospital where he was reportedly treated, and relevant medical records.

Following the referral of the matter to the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, the family said the Zone 2 Command subsequently sought to take over the investigation.

The development prompted the family to submit another petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on October 23.

The family questioned the proposed transfer of the case to Zone 2, arguing that the unit did not have a homicide division.

The family urged the IGP to direct that the investigation be handled by the appropriate police unit and that the final investigation report be forwarded to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation for consideration and any necessary legal action.

Following the arrests, the family called on the police to ensure that the investigation was conducted thoroughly and impartially.

Its other requests include establishing the identity and location of the hospital in Benin City where Solomon was reportedly taken for treatment and obtaining any available medical records.

The family also asked the police to establish the whereabouts of his remains and take lawful steps to preserve them pending the investigation.

It further requested an autopsy or other appropriate forensic examinations, subject to applicable laws and forensic procedures, to determine the cause of death.

Pastor Okafor and his in-laws are expected to address the issues imminently. (The nation, excluding headline)