Horror in Ogun: Celestial pastor kills wife because of infidelity, dies under truck

BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS

Two fresh graves behind a three-bedroom bungalow in Ogooluwa community, Akiode Ibogun, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, now stand as grim reminders of a domestic tragedy that has left residents in shock.

The graves belong to a Celestial Church of Christ shepherd, Bidemi Odukoya, and his wife, who both died within hours of each other following a reported marital dispute.

Odukoya, the Shepherd of Iri Orun Parish, allegedly macheted his wife to death during a midnight altercation on Monday, August 31, before fleeing the community and reportedly throwing himself in front of a moving truck along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway at Ifo.

The incident, which reportedly occurred around 2am, has plunged the community into mourning, with residents struggling to understand how a couple regarded as friendly and peaceful could have met such a violent end.

The Baale of the community, Chief Taiwo Akiode, said residents alerted him around 3am after informing the police that the shepherd had allegedly killed his wife.

Akiode said he went to the couple’s residence and met the woman lying in a pool of blood, with what appeared to be a machete wound. A stool allegedly used in the attack was also found at the scene.

He said the police later arrived, documented the scene and commenced their investigation, while Odukoya was nowhere to be found.

According to the community leader, residents later received information around 7am that Odukoya had been killed after allegedly jumping in front of a moving truck at Ifo.

“Some people at Ifo told us that when the deceased got to the expressway, he was crossing the expressway back and forth repeatedly. He later sat on the divider, after which he saw an oncoming truck and jumped before it and died,” Akiode said.

Both bodies were buried beside their home on Monday evening, with the wife buried around 5pm and the husband’s remains returned later in the evening and buried after 7pm.

The tragedy has sparked conflicting accounts about the couple’s marriage. While some residents described them as jovial, respectful and peaceful, others said they had been involved in repeated domestic disputes.

The community youth leader, Seun Adelana, said allegations of infidelity involving both spouses were believed to have triggered the final confrontation.

“Allegations of infidelity from both the husband and wife were said to have been the major reason responsible for this sad event,” Adelana said.

He added that Odukoya had allegedly accused his wife of having an affair, while there were also claims that the shepherd was involved with another woman.

However, a neighbour, Mrs Oluwatoyin Oseni, said the couple had a history of domestic fights, some of which allegedly resulted in injuries to the wife.

Oseni said she had recently assisted the woman after another altercation and that the police had previously intervened in the couple’s marital problems.

She said the couple had reportedly stopped speaking to each other since June following their frequent quarrels.

According to her, it was the couple’s 14-year-old son, Daniel, who woke her around 2am after discovering that his father had attacked his mother.

Oseni said she and another neighbour rushed to the house and found the woman’s lifeless body on the floor, covered in blood.

She added that Odukoya was seen holding a cutlass and told the neighbours that he was also “as good as gone” when questioned about the attack.

Oseni said the shepherd later went inside the house and left the community without the neighbours realising that he had headed towards Ifo.

She lamented that the tragedy was particularly painful because she had repeatedly advised the woman to seek peace in her marriage.

Another community leader, the Asiwaju of Ibogun Akiode, Chief Oluwasegun Adeboye, said residents only began hearing details of the couple’s marital problems after their deaths.

Adeboye, 76, said residents were told that the couple had taken their dispute to court and had been advised to return home and attempt an amicable resolution.

He said the couple were reportedly expected to return to court on Wednesday, but the tragedy occurred two days earlier.

Some residents have also attributed the incident to alleged spiritual forces, although such claims remain unsubstantiated.

The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, ASP Opeyemi Oluborode, confirmed that the command was aware of the incident and said the case was being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

“The command is very much aware of the case. The case file is currently being transferred to the SCID for diligent investigation into knowing the actual facts surrounding the sad incidents,” he said.