NEWS
Pastor Allegedly Machetes Wife to Death, Jumps in Front of Truck Hours Later in Ogun
The two heaps of fresh sand behind a three-bedroom bungalow in Ogooluwa community, Akiode Ibogun, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, are now grim reminders of a tragedy that has left residents shocked and searching for answers.
Placed side by side behind the building, the heaps mark the final resting places of a husband and wife whose lives reportedly ended within hours of each other following an alleged domestic dispute.
The house, located beside the Celestial Church of Christ, Iri Orun Parish, owned by the couple, was deserted when our correspondent visited the community on Thursday. The church was equally quiet, with an unusual stillness hanging over the neighbourhood.
For residents, however, the silence has done little to erase the horror of Monday, August 31, when Bidemi Odukoya, the Shepherd of the Iri Orun Parish of the Celestial Church of Christ, allegedly macheted his wife to death during a midnight domestic dispute. The incident was said to have occurred at about 2am, sending shockwaves through the community.
Odukoya, who was a father of three boys, reportedly fled the area shortly after the alleged attack and headed towards Coker Junction, along the Ifo section of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, about 20 minutes away from Akiode. He was later alleged to have taken his own life by throwing himself in front of a moving truck, resulting in his instant death.
Both husband and wife were subsequently buried beside their home on Monday evening, leaving the two fresh mounds of sand as a stark symbol of the tragedy.
The incident has reportedly been particularly difficult for residents to process because the couple had lived in Akiode Ibogun for approximately nine or 10 years and were generally known as friendly and respectful members of the community.
The sudden turn of events has therefore left many residents wondering what could have triggered the fatal confrontation.
According to the community leader, the seriousness of the situation became clearer when another report arrived around 7am that Odukoya had allegedly jumped in front of a moving truck at Ifo along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
“We thereafter sent some residents to go and confirm the report, which they did. The police at Ifo got involved and took it up from there,” he said.
Residents were subsequently informed that people around Ifo had witnessed disturbing behaviour by Odukoya shortly before his death.
According to Akiode, some people in Ifo told residents that Odukoya had allegedly been crossing the expressway repeatedly before eventually sitting on the median.
“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.”
The circumstances surrounding the alleged domestic dispute and what may have led to the fatal confrontation remain unclear.
The incident has also left the community mourning the loss of two people at virtually the same time, while the fate and wellbeing of their three children have become another source of concern among residents.
Police involvement was reported following the incident, with authorities at Ifo taking up the matter. As of the time of the report, the precise motive behind the alleged attack and subsequent death of Odukoya had not been established.
For Akiode Ibogun residents, the tragedy has transformed what was once an ordinary family home and church compound into a painful reminder of how quickly a domestic disagreement can spiral into irreversible consequences.