A Celestial Church of Christ pastor, identified as Bidemi Odukoya, has allegedly killed his wife during a domestic dispute in the Akiode Ibogun community, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, before reportedly taking his own life hours later.
According to Punch report, the incident occurred around 2am on Monday, August 31, 2026, when Odukoya, who was the Shepherd of Iri Orun Parish of the Celestial Church of Christ, allegedly attacked his wife with a machete and fled the community afterwards.
The pastor, who was a father of three boys, reportedly headed to Coker Junction, Ifo section of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, where he allegedly ran in front of a moving truck and died.
The remains of the couple were reportedly buried beside their three-bedroom home on the same day.
The incident has left residents of the community shocked, with local leaders describing the couple as friendly and respectful people who had lived in the area for about nine or 10 years.
The Baale of the community, Chief Taiwo Akiode, said residents were alerted to the incident around 3am after some people informed him that the pastor had allegedly killed his wife.
He said residents who went to the couple’s residence found the woman lying in a pool of blood, with what appeared to be a machete wound and injuries allegedly caused by a wooden stool.
Akiode said the police were subsequently contacted and visited the scene to document the incident, while Odukoya was nowhere to be found.
He added that around 7am, residents received information that the pastor had allegedly jumped in front of a moving truck at Ifo along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
According to him, residents were sent to confirm the report before the police in Ifo took over the matter.
Akiode said some people at the expressway reportedly told residents that Odukoya had been crossing the road repeatedly before sitting on the median and later jumping in front of an approaching truck.
He said the wife was buried around 5pm, while the pastor’s remains were brought back to the community later in the evening and buried beside his wife.
The community leader said residents were struggling to understand how the tragedy happened, especially because the couple had been regarded as peaceful and responsible members of the community.
He, however, said some residents began sharing information after the incident that the couple had frequently engaged in domestic disagreements.
The youth leader of the community, Seun Adelana, alleged that infidelity was at the centre of the crisis that reportedly led to the incident.
Adelana said there were allegations that Odukoya accused his wife of having a relationship with another man, while the pastor was also alleged to be involved with another woman.
However, a neighbour, Mrs Oluwatoyin Oseni, gave a different account, saying the couple had frequently engaged in domestic fights and that the late woman had previously suffered injuries during some of the disagreements.
Oseni said there had been police involvement in one of the couple’s previous disputes, after which residents believed the matter had been resolved.
She added that the couple had reportedly stopped speaking to each other since June following their repeated disagreements.
According to Oseni, the couple’s 14-year-old first child, Daniel, woke her around 2am after discovering that his father had attacked his mother.
She said she and another neighbour rushed to the residence and found the woman dead on the floor with blood covering her body.
Oseni further alleged that Odukoya was holding a cutlass when they arrived and told her that he was also as good as dead.
She said the pastor later went inside the house, but the neighbours did not realise that he had left the community and headed to Ifo, where he reportedly died.
The Asiwaju of Ibogun Akiode, Chief Oluwasegun Adeboye, also expressed sadness over the incident, saying residents found it difficult to believe that the couple could have been involved in such a tragedy.
Adeboye said residents only began hearing more about the couple’s marital problems after the incident.
He also said residents heard that the couple had taken their disagreement to court and were advised to return home and attempt to resolve their differences amicably.
According to him, the couple were expected to return to court on Wednesday, but the tragedy occurred on Monday.
Some residents also attributed the incident to spiritual factors, although no evidence was provided to support the claim.
Contacted for reaction, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Command, ASP Opeyemi Oluborode, confirmed that the police were aware of the incident.
Oluborode said the case file was being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for diligent investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
