The Lagos State Police Command has sealed the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) Oluwa Parish in Ojo over the alleged killing of 28-year-old Lagos State University (LASU) graduate, Adedamola Ogunbode.
Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Benjamin Hundeyin, the command’s spokesperson, confirmed the development during a press briefing at the State Command.
He stated that the decision to seal the church followed intelligence reports indicating that some individuals planned to burn it down.
“As for the last suspected murders, yes, according to our latest briefing, we have three suspects in custody, and the case is ongoing at the State Criminal Investigation Department. Efforts are underway to arrest five other suspects,” Hundeyin said.
“We’ve been able to confirm that at least two of those five are out of the country, but efforts are also being made to apprehend them. And lastly, one thing I can add from our last briefing is that the church at the centre of all this, where some people allege that the missing boy was killed and buried, has been sealed.”
He explained that the church was sealed to protect it from being set ablaze.
“The reason it’s being sealed for now is to protect it because we have intelligence that some people want to burn down the church out of vengeance. We don’t want that to happen. It is still a suspected crime scene,” he stated.
“I still need to go over it. I may need to revisit that scene multiple times for us to gather evidential value. So the church has been sealed for now to prevent it from being burned. And we assure the public that updates will be given about the investigation and the progress we have made as soon as we get new information,” he added.
Meanwhile, the father of the deceased, a lawyer and human rights activist, visited the church in the early hours of Monday for further inspection. It was revealed that nothing suspicious was found to confirm whether the boy was buried there or not.
It was earlier reported that the Lagos-based pastor of the CCC, identified as Superintendent Evangelist Whepetoji Babaniyeh, had been arrested in connection with Quadri’s disappearance.
It was learnt that the cleric leads the Celestial Church of Christ, Ileri Oluwa Parish, Lagos State University (LASU) 2.
Quadri was declared missing on January 16, 2025.
He had obtained his degree from the Political Science Education Department of LASU in 2024 and was running his private business, Horlar Edu Consultancy, on the LASU campus before his disappearance.
Speaking to newsmen, a family source had noted that Quadri was last seen near the church.
Meanwhile, there are reports that his mutilated body was later discovered buried within the compound of a well-known church in the area.
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