Gunmen suspected to be hired assassins shot and killed the Shepherd-in-charge of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) in Idiroko, Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State on Sunday.
The victim, identified as Yomi Adetula, was attacked while preaching inside his church, the Hebrew Celestial Church, located at the Odo Eran area of Old Baggage Road, Idiroko. The incident occurred around 11 a.m.
Witnesses reported that six assailants, armed with AK-47 rifles and dressed in Celestial Church garments, stormed the church and opened fire on Adetula. They reportedly confirmed his death and dismembered his body inside the church before fleeing the scene.
Further investigations revealed that Adetula was the Idiroko Unit Commander of the Ogun State Community, Social Orientation, and Safety Corps, popularly known as the So-Safe Corps, a community security outfit funded by the Ogun State government. Sources suggest that he had been involved in disputes with a smuggling cartel in the Idiroko border area, which allegedly led to threats against him. Due to the ongoing threats, Adetula relocated to Abuja in December 2024, and suspected smugglers around the same time forcibly shut down his church.
The State Commander of the So-Safe Corps, Soji Ganzalo, expressed shock over the assassination and vowed to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident. He also pledged the Corps’ full support in assisting security agencies with information to apprehend the suspects.
Confirming the incident, Ogun State Police spokesperson Omolola Odutola revealed that the attackers brutally mangled Adetula’s head with an axe after riddling his body with bullets. Odutola stated, “The suspects fled immediately after the attack. Police officers arrived at the scene and discovered Adetula’s lifeless body in a pool of blood, his white Celestial garment stained. The body was found riddled with bullets, and his head was severely mutilated to confirm his death.”
The remains of the 54-year-old pastor have been deposited at the morgue of the General Hospital, Ilaro. The police have launched an investigation and are intensifying efforts to track down the suspects, who reportedly escaped toward the border area.
