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

The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Monday, after the couple engaged in a disagreement that escalated into a physical confrontation.

A former Chairman of the Community Development Association, Adejimi Olawumi, said residents alerted him after hearing cries for help.

He said he later found Adenike lying unconscious in a pool of blood.

Olawumi said the couple’s son told residents that he was in another room and did not witness what happened between his parents.

He said community members tried to arrange transportation to take the injured woman to hospital but later discovered that her husband was missing.

According to Olawumi, residents subsequently learnt that Odukoya had allegedly been hit by a vehicle in Ifo and was taken to a hospital by the police, where his identity was confirmed.

He said the community later began arrangements to recover the cleric’s remains, adding that residents were aware the couple sometimes had disagreements but usually resolved them.

The late evangelist’s younger sister, in a video circulating online, also claimed that the couple had experienced repeated domestic disagreements before their deaths.

She said the couple visited her around April following an earlier altercation and that the matter was eventually settled at a police station.

The woman said she had advised the couple to be patient with each other and avoid fighting, adding that the family was shocked when they later received news of their deaths.

Adenike was reportedly buried on the day of the incident, while Odukoya was buried on Wednesday. 

Footage seen after the incident showed some clerics performing burial rites over Odukoya’s remains at an undisclosed location.

The deputy spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Opeyemi Oluborode, confirmed the incident.

“The police is investigating the incident,” Oluborode said.