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 reportedly taking his own life by jumping in front of a moving truck.
The incident occurred around 2am on Monday, August 31, leaving residents of the community in shock.
Odukoya, the shepherd of Iri Orun Parish of the Celestial Church of Christ and father of three boys, allegedly attacked his wife with a machete and a wooden stool during the dispute.
The Baale of the community, Chief Taiwo Akiode, said residents alerted the police after discovering the woman lying in a pool of blood at the couple’s home.
According to community sources, the pastor fled the scene and headed towards Coker Junction along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in Ifo. He was reportedly seen repeatedly crossing the expressway before sitting on the median and later jumping in front of an approaching truck, which resulted in his death.
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 frequent quarrels, adding that 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 holding a cutlass and said he was also “as good as gone.”
Another community leader, Chief Oluwasegun Adeboye, said residents only became aware of the couple’s persistent marital problems after the tragedy. He added 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 they 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.
