76-year-old woman arraigned for ‘exhuming’ late husband’s corpse

Court

A 76-year-old woman, Olabisi Olowoopejo, has been arraigned in an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly exhuming her late husband’s corpse.

Olowoopejo, a resident of 47 Afariogun Street, Oshodi, Lagos, was arraigned on Monday.

The septuagenarian has denied the three-count charges of breach of peace, forgery and conspiracy.

The prosecutor, Michael Unah, said the defendant conducted herself in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace.

Mr Unah said she exhumed the corpse of her husband, Alani Olowoopejo, who died in 1995.

The court heard that the defendant committed the offences with others still at large on March 1 at her residence.

One of the defendant’s sons, Bashiru Olowoopejo, reported the case to the police after his mother exhumed the corpse without his consent.

“The defendant allegedly forged Oshodi/Isolo Local Government exhumation of corpse permit and unlawfully carried out the act.

“The defendant allegedly sold the house where her late husband was buried and relocated his remains to a cemetery,” the prosecutor said.

According to Unah, the alleged offences contravene Section 168, 365 and 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015 (Revised).

Chief Magistrate A.A Fashola granted her N50,000 bail with one surety in like sum.

Fashola ruled that the surety must be gainfully employed, with an evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government and have his address verified by the court.

In addition, he said that the surety must be related to the defendant by blood and resides within the court’s jurisdiction.

The case was adjourned until July 22 for mention.