A 76-year-old woman, Olabisi Olowoopejo, on Monday appeared before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly exhuming her late husband’s corpse from where it was buried.
The defendant, a resident of No. 47 Afariogun St., Oshodi in Lagos, is facing a three-count-charge of breach of peace, forgery and conspiracy.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
According to the Prosecutor, Sgt. Michael Unah, the defendant conducted herself in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace.
He said that she exhumed the corpse of her husband, one late Alani Olowoopejo, who died in 1995, from where he was buried.
Unah told the court that the defendant committed the offences with others still at large on March 1, at her residence.
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He submitted that one of the defendant’s sons, one Mr Bashiru Olowoopejo, reported the case to the police after the defendant 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 it’s remain to a cemetery,” he said.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr. A.A Fashola, granted the defendant 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 alleged offences contravene Section 168, 365 and 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015, ( Revised).
NAN reports that conspiracy stipulates two years while breach of peace prescribes six months jail term, if convicted.
The Magistrate adjourned the case until July 22 for mention.(NAN)