Police Seal Popular Lagos Church Over Alleged Murder of LASU Graduate, Three Arrested

The Lagos State Police Command has sealed the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), Oluwa Parish in Ojo, following the alleged murder of 28-year-old Lagos State University (LASU) graduate, Adedamola Ogunbode.

During a press briefing, the command’s spokesperson, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the church was closed off to prevent a potential arson attack. He explained that the police received intelligence indicating plans by unidentified individuals to burn down the premises, believed to be the scene of the alleged crime.

Hundeyin revealed that three suspects are currently in custody and under investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend five more. He added that at least two of the remaining suspects are believed to be outside the country.

According to Hundeyin, the church was sealed not only to preserve the integrity of the investigation but also for public safety. “We assure the public that the church is a suspected crime scene, and we need to secure it to collect evidential value. Updates will be provided as investigations progress,” he stated.

In the early hours of Monday, the victim’s father, a lawyer and human rights activist, visited the sealed church for inspection. According to reports, nothing conclusive was found during the visit to determine whether Ogunbode was buried within the church premises.

The case first came to public attention after Ogunbode, also known as Quadri, was declared missing on January 16, 2025. A graduate of LASU’s Political Science Education Department, he was operating a private education consultancy business on campus at the time of his disappearance.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that Superintendent Evangelist Whepetoji Babaniyeh, the pastor of the Celestial Church of Christ, Ileri Oluwa Parish near LASU, was arrested in connection with Ogunbode’s disappearance. Family sources say the young man was last seen in the vicinity of the church, and there are unconfirmed reports that his mutilated body was discovered buried within the compound of a nearby church.