Tragedy in Ogun: Pastor, Wife Found Dead After Alleged Marital Clash
A tragic incident has thrown residents of the Akinode/Ibogun Community in Ogun State into shock after a Celestial Church of Christ Evangelist, Abidemi Odukoya, and his wife, Adenike, were found dead in separate circumstances following an alleged domestic altercation.
Global Mirror News gathered that the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, August 25, after the couple reportedly engaged in a domestic dispute at their residence, which allegedly escalated into a physical confrontation.
The altercation reportedly left Adenike unconscious and injured, while her husband was said to have fled the residence.
A former Chairman of the Community Development Association, Adejimi Olawumi, said in a video shared by Arole TV on Wednesday that he was alerted by residents’ cries for help and subsequently went to the couple’s residence.
According to Olawumi, he found Adenike lying in a pool of blood when he entered the house with other residents.
He explained that it was around 1am when he heard neighbours shouting, “thief, thief,” prompting him to come out to find out what was happening.
Olawumi said he encountered Daniel, who told him that the people involved were his parents.
He subsequently called other residents to assist, and they entered the house where they found the woman seriously injured.
According to him, there was no vehicle available at the time to immediately take Adenike to the hospital.
He added that the couple’s son told them that he did not witness what happened between his parents because he was in another room.
As residents mobilised to assist the injured woman, Global Mirror News gathered that members of the CDA noticed that Odukoya was missing and began searching for him.
Olawumi said the community members contacted their area chairman and searched for the cleric in different locations.
They later received information that Odukoya had reportedly been hit by a vehicle in the Ifo area of Ogun State.
According to Olawumi, the police took the cleric to a hospital, where members of the CDA later confirmed that the injured man was Odukoya.
The CDA subsequently began making arrangements to bring his remains back home.
Olawumi expressed shock over the incident, saying the community had never experienced anything similar involving the couple.
He, however, disclosed that residents knew the couple sometimes had disagreements and fights but usually settled their differences.
Meanwhile, the late evangelist’s younger sister, in a video circulating online, claimed that the couple had been involved in repeated disagreements before their deaths.
She said the couple had visited her around April following an earlier altercation, adding that the matter was eventually resolved at a police station.
According to her, she had heard that the couple had been fighting for some time.
She explained that during their visit, her brother narrated what had happened between him and his wife and how the matter was eventually taken to the police station and settled.
The woman said she advised the couple to be patient with each other, stressing that it was not right for a husband and wife to engage in physical confrontation.
She further claimed that their marital disagreements had persisted for a long time and that relatives and other people had previously intervened to settle their differences.
She said the family was informed about the latest incident after one of the siblings received a phone call.
Following the notification, arrangements were made concerning the remains of the deceased couple.
Global Mirror News gathered that Adenike was reportedly buried on the day of the incident, while Odukoya was buried on Wednesday, September 2.
Separate footage seen by media on Wednesday showed some clerics performing burial rites over the remains of the evangelist at an undisclosed location.
However, the exact circumstances surrounding the deaths remained unclear as of the time of filing the report.
It was not immediately established what exactly transpired during the alleged domestic confrontation or the circumstances that led to Adenike’s death.
Similarly, details surrounding how Odukoya was struck by a vehicle in the Ifo area remained subject to investigation.
When contacted on Wednesday, the Ogun State Police Command confirmed the incident.
The deputy spokesman for the command, Opeyemi Oluborode, said the police were investigating the matter.
“The Police is investigating the incident,” he added.
The ongoing investigation is expected to establish what happened at the couple’s residence, the circumstances surrounding Adenike’s death and how Odukoya subsequently died after reportedly being hit by a vehicle.
The tragic development has continued to generate concern among residents of the Akinode/Ibogun community, particularly following revelations that the couple had allegedly experienced previous marital disagreements.
Global Mirror News will continue to monitor the investigation and report further developments as more facts emerge.
