The family of a former governorship candidate in Ondo State, the late Otunba Bamidele Akingboye, has faulted the claim by one of the wives that the deceased was not murdered, but rather committed suicide.
The late Otunba Bamidele Akingboye, who resided in Lagos State until his mysterious and controversial death, was the SDP candidate in the governorship election held in Ondo State in 2024.
The family expressed deep concern over a recent public statement made by the wife, Mrs Christianah Akingboye, asserting that the deceased committed suicide.
In a statement on Friday, Pastor Akinyele Akingboye, speaking on behalf of the family, expressed deep concern over the public assertion by Mrs Christianah Akingboye that the deceased took his own life.
The family described her statement as “a calculated attempt to manipulate public opinion and obstruct the ongoing investigation into the mysterious death of the politician,” which occurred on 3rd September 2025.
The family stated that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, had earlier informed them that the post-mortem report remains in police custody and would not be released until the investigation is concluded.
“One then wonders where Mrs. Christianah Akingboye obtained her own version of the report,” Pastor Akingboye stated in the statement.
Mrs Akingboye was reported to have made unsubstantiated bribery allegations against the Deputy Commissioner of Police at the Lagos State CID and the deceased’s first son.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police subsequently withdrew the case from the State CID, Panti, and constituted a five-member panel to handle the matter.
The family, while welcoming the decision, however emphasised the need for a transparent process.
“We insist that all statements earlier obtained from Mrs. Christianah Akingboye, her children, and members of the domestic staff at both CID Panti and Ajah Police Station must not be altered or substituted.
“After the post-mortem report was released, another round of fresh statements was taken by the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) of the panel, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Sunday Cirman, from Mrs. Christianah and others,” the statement further read.
The family further stated that of critical evidential importance is the CCTV footage capturing movements within the deceased’s residence at odd hours before the death of the late politician.
“This footage reportedly contradicts Mrs. Christianah Akingboye’s initial statement that all occupants were asleep by 10 p.m., as well as her later claim that her husband ‘jumped from the balcony’.
“Such contradictions strike at the root of credibility and must be subjected to forensic examination,” the family maintained.
The family also queried why Christianah failed to inform the police before the corpse was removed from the scene of the incident.
Furthermore, it demanded that investigators should identify and interrogate those responsible for the suspicious withdrawal of over ₦200 million from the deceased’s bank account while his body was still in the hospital morgue.
“Was he killed because of money?” the family asked, describing the revelation as a deeply troubling development that requires urgent clarification.
The Akingboye Family also stressed that any medical report relying solely on information supplied by the wife without independent medical verification “cannot meet the evidential threshold required under investigative procedure.”
Accordingly, the head of the family, Pastor Akinyele Akingboye called on the police panel to proceed with utmost transparency, evidential integrity, and professional circumspection.
This, the family stated, was to ensure that all witness statements, financial records, medical reports, and digital exhibits are properly logged, examined, and cross-verified before any conclusion is reached.
