A Celestial Church of Christ evangelist, Abidemi Odukoya, and his wife, Adenike, have died following separate incidents linked to an alleged domestic altercation at their residence in the Akinode/Ibogun community of Ogun State.
The circumstances surrounding the couple’s deaths remained unclear as of Thursday, with the Ogun State Police Command confirming that an investigation was underway.
The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Monday, August 25, after the couple allegedly engaged in a disagreement that escalated into a physical confrontation.
Adenike was reportedly found unconscious and seriously injured at the couple’s residence, while Abidemi was said to have left the house after the altercation.
A former Chairman of the Community Development Association in the area, Adejimi Olawumi, said residents were alerted by cries for help at about 1 am.
According to Olawumi, he was told by the couple’s son, identified as Daniel, that the incident involved his parents.
He said residents who entered the house found Adenike lying in a pool of blood but were initially unable to take her to a hospital because there was no available vehicle.
Olawumi said the couple’s son told residents that he had been in another room and did not witness what happened between his parents.
He added that members of the CDA later realised that Abidemi was missing and began searching for him.
The search, according to Olawumi, ended after the community learnt that the cleric had allegedly been struck by a vehicle in the Ifo area of Ogun State.
He said the police took Abidemi to a hospital, where the community later confirmed his identity, before arrangements were made to return his remains to the community.
Olawumi said the couple were known to have had disagreements in the past but that such disputes were usually resolved.
Meanwhile, Abidemi’s younger sister, in a video circulating online, claimed that the couple had experienced repeated disagreements over their marriage.
She said the couple visited her in April after another altercation and that the matter was eventually resolved at a police station.
The woman said she advised them to be patient with each other and avoid fighting, adding that other people had previously intervened to settle their disagreements.
She said the family learnt about the latest incident after one of the siblings received a telephone call, after which arrangements were made concerning the deceased.
Adenike was reportedly buried on the day of the incident, while Abidemi was buried on Wednesday, September 2.
Footage, according to PUNCH Metro, showed some clerics performing burial rites over Abidemi’s remains at an undisclosed location on Wednesday.
However, details surrounding what happened to Adenike and the circumstances of Abidemi’s death have not been independently established.
The Deputy Spokesman for the Ogun State Police Command, Opeyemi Oluborode, confirmed the incident when contacted on Wednesday.
“The police is investigating the incident,” he said.
