Juliet Oladele, Reporting
A pastor of the Celestial Church of Christ, Bidemi Odukoya, has allegedly killed his wife during a domestic dispute in Akiode Ibogun, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, before later dying along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
The incident reportedly occurred around 2am on Monday, August 31, throwing residents of the community into shock.
Odukoya, who was the shepherd of Iri Orun Parish of the Celestial Church of Christ and a father of three boys, allegedly attacked his wife with a machete and a wooden stool during the dispute.
According to the community’s Baale, Chief Taiwo Akiode, residents alerted the police after discovering the woman critically injured at the couple’s home.
The pastor reportedly fled the community afterwards and headed towards Coker Junction along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
Community sources said he was later found dead along the expressway.
The couple were buried beside their home on Monday evening.
The community’s youth leader, Seun Adelana, said allegations of infidelity involving both parties were believed to have contributed to the crisis.
However, a neighbour, Oluwatoyin Oseni, said the couple had a history of domestic violence and frequently engaged in quarrels, adding that the police had previously intervened in their marital disputes.
Oseni said the couple’s 14-year-old son, Daniel, alerted her after waking up and realising that his father had attacked his mother.
She said neighbours rushed to the house and found the woman dead, while Odukoya was reportedly still at the scene.
Another community leader, Chief Oluwasegun Adeboye, said residents only became aware of the couple’s persistent marital problems after the tragedy.
He also claimed that the couple had been involved in a court case over their differences and were expected to return to court shortly before the incident.
The Baale urged couples experiencing marital difficulties to seek counselling and resolve disputes peacefully before their disagreements escalate.
Reacting to the incident, the Ogun State Police Command said it had commenced an investigation.
The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Opeyemi Oluborode, said the case file was being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for diligent investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Clarify the conflicting death sequence
Attribute every unverified allegation
Lead with the police investigation
