Residents of Ogooluwa community in Akiode Ibogun, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, have been left in shock following a domestic tragedy in which a clergyman allegedly killed his wife before taking his own life.

The deceased were identified as Bidemi Odukoya, the Shepherd of the Celestial Church of Christ, Iri Orun Parish, and his wife.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 2am on Monday, August 31, when Odukoya allegedly attacked his wife with a machete and a heavy wooden stool, leaving her fatally injured.

14-year-old son raises alarm

The couple’s 14-year-old first son, Daniel, reportedly raised the alarm after witnessing the attack on his mother.

A neighbour, Mrs Oluwatoyin Oseni, said she rushed to the residence with another resident after hearing the commotion.

“By the time myself and one other neighbour got to the residence of the couple, we discovered the lifeless body of Mummy Daniel with a broken head, all covered in blood, on the floor,” Oseni recounted.

She said residents later learnt that the clergyman allegedly used a machete and wooden stool to attack his wife.

According to Oseni, Odukoya was still at the scene holding a cutlass when they arrived.

“As I was asking him why he would go to the extent of killing his wife, he calmly said that he too was as good as gone. But because he was holding the cutlass, we could not move closer,” she said.

Pastor flees community after alleged attack

Oseni said Odukoya later retreated into the house before reportedly escaping into the darkness and heading towards Coker Junction along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in Ifo.

Eyewitnesses at the expressway reportedly saw the clergyman pacing repeatedly across the road before eventually sitting on the median.

At about 7am, he allegedly threw himself in front of an approaching heavy-duty truck and died instantly.

Community members and police operatives subsequently recovered his remains.

Couple buried side-by-side

The bodies of Odukoya and his wife were reportedly buried side-by-side behind their three-bedroom residence on Monday evening.

The house, according to the report, is located close to the church where Odukoya served as shepherd.

The couple had lived in the community for nearly a decade and raised three sons.

Infidelity allegations linked to tragedy

The Youth Leader of Akiode community, Seun Adelana, said residents had gathered that allegations of infidelity involving both parties contributed to the marital crisis.

“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 explained that the husband was allegedly accusing his wife of having an affair with another man, while there were also allegations that Odukoya himself was involved with another woman.

“So, this is what we gathered led to the altercation, which made the husband kill the woman,” Adelana added.

Marital dispute had reportedly reached court

The tragedy came after what residents described as persistent domestic disagreements between the couple.

According to the report, the disputes had previously attracted police intervention and resulted in pending court proceedings.

A community leader, 76-year-old Chief Oluwasegun Adeboye, said the couple was expected to return to court shortly after the incident over the marital crisis.

“We even heard that they have already taken their case to court and they were asked to go back home and see if they could amicably resolve their differences,” Adeboye said.

“According to what we heard, they were supposed to have returned to court again on Wednesday, but everything has ended on Monday,” he added.

Traditional ruler expresses shock

The Baale of Akiode community, Chief Taiwo Akiode, described the incident as unprecedented in the area.

The traditional ruler said he had previously regarded the couple as peaceful and respectful residents, making the violent development difficult for him to comprehend.

“This unfortunate incident is the first of its kind in this environment. It is a tragedy of monumental proportion that no one saw coming,” Akiode lamented.

“I find it difficult to believe that it is these same set of people that could be involved in such a brutal domestic fight that claimed their souls,” he added.

The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed that an investigation into the incident has commenced.

The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Opeyemi Oluborode, said the command was aware of the case and that the matter 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 State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for diligent investigation into knowing the actual facts surrounding the sad incidents,” Oluborode said.

The police investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the death of the woman and the subsequent death of her husband.

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