Pastor

Author: Gist Correspondent

A Celestial Church of Christ evangelist, Abidemi Odukoya, and his wife, Adenike, have died following an alleged domestic dispute at their home in the Akinode/Ibogun community of Ogun State.

The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Monday, August 25, after a disagreement between the couple allegedly escalated into a physical confrontation.

According to reports, the woman was found unconscious and severely injured inside the house, while her husband was nowhere to be found.

A former Chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA), Adejimi Olawumi, said residents raised the alarm at about 1 a.m., prompting neighbours to rush to the couple's residence.

He said they found Adenike lying in a pool of blood but were unable to immediately take her to the hospital due to the unavailability of a vehicle.

Olawumi added that after discovering the husband was missing, members of the community began searching for him and later received information that he had been knocked down by a vehicle in the Ifo area of the state.

According to him, police took Odukoya to a hospital, where he was later confirmed dead.

He described the incident as unprecedented in the community, although he acknowledged that the couple had reportedly been involved in repeated domestic quarrels in the past.

In a video circulating online, the late evangelist's younger sister claimed the couple had experienced recurring marital conflicts and had previously settled one of their disputes at a police station.

She said she had advised both husband and wife to exercise patience and resolve their differences peacefully, adding that family members were shocked by news of their deaths.

According to the family, Adenike was buried on the day of the incident, while Odukoya was laid to rest on September 2.

Videos seen online also showed clerics conducting burial rites for the late evangelist.

The exact circumstances surrounding the deaths remain unclear.

Confirming the incident, the Ogun State Police Command said an investigation had commenced.

The command's deputy spokesperson, Opeyemi Oluborode, said the police were working to determine what led to the tragic deaths of the couple.