Tragedy struck in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, last week as suspected hired assassins allegedly macheted a female Christian cleric, Evangelist Odeniran Motunrayo Ayoade, to death at her residence.
Odeniran, a mother of three, was the founder and spiritual head of Land of Goshen Interdenominational Prayer City located at Adelubi village, Ogbaagba, Agodo area, Owode-Ede in Osun State. She had retired last year as the pay mistress at the Bureau of Special Duties, office of the Governor of Osun State.
It was gathered that the late cleric had travelled on evangelism for some days and returned home in the penultimate Saturday to prepare for Sunday service, not knowing that the evil doers had arranged something different for her as she eventually met her untimely death in the hands of men of the underworld on that fateful day.
The deceased, who was until her death a widow, was the only person living at her residence located at Number 4, Irewumi street, Aroko estate, Ogo Oluwa, as her three children are already married and live in separate places, with two of them outside the country.
Engr Odeniran Abiodun, the only child of the late cleric living in the state, had gone to check on his mother last Monday when all efforts to reach her on phone failed, only to find her mother in a pool of her own blood.
Narrating the incident, Engr Odeniran said the 61-year-old woman had gone on evangelism and returned on that Saturday, but she could not be reached on her mobile phones, which prompted him to visit her on Monday, only to find her dead body.
The deceased’s son said his late mother was not involved in any kind of misunderstanding with any individual, adding that he was not aware of any issue she had with anybody, describing her as quite, calm, kind, and easy-going.
The gruesome murder of the female cleric has continued to bring to question the validity of the security system in Osun State and the country at large.
The State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Police Force is already investigating the matter, although no arrest has been made in connection with the incident.
