It was a black Sunday at Hebrew Celestial Church located at the Odo Eran area of the Old Baggage road in Idiroko, Ogun State when Gunmen shot and killed the Shepherd-in-charge of the church during service.
According to reports, the attackers, numbering three, invaded the CCC Eagle Parish along Baggage Road, Odo Eran, Idiroko, around 10.30am, targeting the prophet in a brutal assault that left worshippers in shock and fear.
According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen opened fire on Adetula before viciously mutilating his head with an axe to confirm his death.
Confirming the incident, Ogun State Police Spokesman, Omolola Odutola, described the harrowing details in a statement issued on Sunday afternoon.
“Police officers raced to the scene and saw on Yomi Adetula, ‘M’, aged 54 years lifeless in the pool of blood which stained his white celestial garment lying face up,” Odutola said.
“On careful observation, his body was riddled with bullets, and his head was not spared… to ensure the victim was really dead, it was mangled with axe.
“On police inquiry, information further gathered that three men came into the church, brought out a long double-barrel gun, aimed at their target, and fired a shot that brought the deceased down,” she added.
The prophet’s remains have been deposited at the General Hospital Morgue in Ilaro, as the police launch an investigation into the killing.
Odutola revealed that the suspects fled toward the border area after the attack.
“Normalcy has been restored while possible clues will be revealed in the coming days as investigation has been launched into the very sad occurrence,” she assured.
According to reports, It was reliably gathered that Adetula’s assailants, who were six in number were armed with AK-47 gun each and were all clad in the Celestial Church’s garment, stormed the church, the ‘Hebrew Celestial Church’ located at the Odo Eran area of the Old Baggage road in Idiroko, where they rained bullets on him and waited to certify him dead and dismembered him inside the church before leaving the scene.
It was further gathered that the deceased was the Idiroko Unit Commander of the Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps, popularly known as So-Safe Corps; one of the community security outfits established and funded by the Ogun State government.
While reasons behind the dastard act could not be ascertained, it was however, gathered that late Adetula had for the past few months, been having running battles against certain smuggling cartel in Idiroko border town, which necessitated his movement to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in December 2024.
Source within his church in Idiroko also said that the development led to a forceful closure of his church; Hebrew Celestial Church in the same month of December, ’24 by some suspected smugglers with whom he allegedly had issues.
The State Commander of the So-SAFE Corps, Soji Ganzalo, who confirmed the incident, said he received the news of Adetula’s assassination with a rude shock and still couldn’t believe it.
Ganzalo however, disclosed that the So-SAFE Corp would not relent untill it ensure that the matter is properly investigated, while also promising to assist the appropriate security agencies with necessary information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects.
Confirming the incident, spokesperson for the Ogun State Police command, Omolola Odutola
said the assailants mangled Adetula’s head with axe.