Tension in Osun as Assailants Murder 61-Year-Old Female Christian Cleric
By John Dike
Tragedy struck in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, last week when people suspected to be hired assassins allegedly attacked a female Christian cleric, Evangelist Odeniran Motunrayo Ayoade, with a machete, leading to her death at her residence.
Odeniran, a mother of three and the founder and spiritual head of Land of Goshen Interdenominational Prayer City located in Adelubi village, Ogbaagba, Agodo area, Owode-Ede in Osun State, retired last year as the pay mistress at the Bureau of Special Duties, Office of the Governor of Osun State.
Since her retirement from active civil service, Mrs. Odeniran, who had started her ministry many years ago, was involved in aggressive evangelism both within and outside the state.
It was reported that the late cleric had traveled for evangelism for a few days and returned home the Saturday before last to prepare for Sunday service, unaware that the assailants had planned something sinister for her. She met her untimely death at the hands of criminals on that fateful day.
The deceased, who was a widow at the time of her death, lived alone at her residence located at Number 4, Irewumi Street, Aroko Estate, Ogo Oluwa, as her three children were married and lived separately, with some residing outside the country.
Her eldest child, Odeniran Abiodun, an engineer, who was the only child of the late cleric living in the state, went to check on his mother last Monday when all efforts to reach her by phone failed. He discovered her lifeless body in a pool of her own blood.
Narrating the incident, Engr. Odeniran told Sunday Sun that his 61-year-old mother had gone on evangelism and returned on that Saturday. When she could not be reached by phone, he decided to visit her on Monday, only to find her dead.
He said: “We knew she had traveled and she called us to say she returned home on Saturday. We expected her at church on Sunday, but she didn’t show up. We thought she might have been tired from her trip. We also tried calling her, but both her lines were off, which is why I asked someone to check on her at home.
“The person I sent later called me, and when I arrived, we noticed that the door was closed. Upon entering, we found her in a pool of her own blood with machete cuts on her head.
“I couldn’t handle the sight of my mother’s lifeless body lying on the kitchen floor. Her head had been struck with a machete in seven different places, and there were machete cuts on other parts of her body. We called the police, and officers from the Ataoja Police Division arrived. The body was later taken to the UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital morgue.”
The deceased’s son mentioned that his mother had no known conflicts with anyone and described her as quiet, calm, kind, and easygoing.
Before her retirement last year, the deceased worked with the Office of the State Accountant General and with former Governors Rauf Aregbesola and Gboyega Oyetola. She also worked briefly with the current governor of the state, Senator Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke.
It was reported that the suspected assailants did not steal anything from the deceased’s residence, as all her belongings, including her cars and church bus, were left intact. However, her two phones were taken, and the lines have since been switched off.
When Sunday Sun visited the deceased’s residence, a number of sympathizers were seen crying and wailing, with many expressing outrage towards the killers, whom they described as targeting a faithful Christian and helper.
The deceased’s church has been in mourning since her death, with members praying for justice and the identification of her killers.
The son informed that the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Police Force is investigating the matter. Many individuals, including church members, neighbors, and himself, have been questioned by the police.
Although no arrests have been made yet, the bereaved family expressed confidence in the police and other security agencies to resolve the case.
The gruesome murder of the female cleric has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the security system in Osun State and the country at large.
