The two fresh sand heaps behind the three-bedroom bungalow in Ogooluwa community, Akiode Ibogun, Ifo Local Government Area, are all that remain of a tragedy that has left residents perplexed about what occurred.
Side by side behind the house, these heaps mark the graves of a husband and wife who died within hours of each other following a reported domestic dispute.
The house, located beside the Celestial Church of Christ, Iri Orun Parish owned by the couple, was deserted when our correspondent visited on Thursday. The church was quiet, and the peaceful environment hinted at the recent tragedy that struck the neighborhood.
However, residents say the silence hasn't erased the horror of August 31, when Bidemi Odukoya, Shepherd of Iri Orun Parish, allegedly macheted his wife to death during a midnight domestic altercation before reportedly taking his own life. The incident is believed to have happened around 2am.
After the attack, Odukoya, a father of three boys, supposedly fled towards Coker junction in the Ifo section of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, about a 20-minute drive from Akiode. He was later believed to have thrown himself in front of a moving truck, leading to his instant death. Both bodies were buried beside their home on Monday evening.
For Akiode Ibogun residents, the incident remains hard to believe, especially since the couple had lived there for roughly nine or ten years and were generally seen as friendly and respectful.
Chief Taiwo Akiode, the Baale of the community, said the tragedy had plunged residents into deep mourning.
“This is the first incident of its kind in this area. It’s a tragedy on a monumental scale that no one anticipated. It’s like something from Nollywood movies, something you only see on television. No one ever imagined such a sad event could happen here in our community.
“It is even more puzzling and disturbing considering who was involved—the Shepherd and his wife. Both were lively and respectful; they behaved responsibly and always greeted me cheerfully.
"Having lived with us for over nine or ten years, they weren’t known to be troublesome or quarrelsome.
“So I find it hard to believe that such a brutal domestic fight could occur between them, ending in losing their lives so tragically and leaving us all in shock.”
About how he learned of the tragedy, Akiode said some residents knocked on his door around 3am to inform him that the Shepherd had allegedly killed his wife.
He explained, “I was told the Shepherd macheted his wife. I couldn’t believe it until we reached their house and saw her in a pool of blood.
“There was a machete wound and a smashed stool on her head.
“The police came and took pictures of the scene. During this time, the Shepherd was nowhere to be found. It was thought he fled after what he did."
Akiode added that a report reached them around 7am claiming Odukoya had jumped in front of a truck at Ifo along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
“We sent some residents to verify this, and they confirmed it. The police at Ifo got involved and took over the investigation," he said.
He said some in Ifo claimed Odukoya kept crossing the expressway and sat on the median before being hit.
"He kept walking back and forth across the road, then sat on the divider, saw an oncoming truck, and jumped in front of it, dying instantly," Akiode explained.
He stated the wife was buried around 5pm, and the husband’s body was brought back later that evening.
"He was buried beside his wife after 7am, possibly delayed by paperwork and other issues," he added.
The Baale said the community remains in shock. “This is the kind of thing we only hear about on the radio—someone killing a spouse. We never thought it could happen here.”
"It happened so suddenly that it deeply affected everyone, leaving us all wondering what went wrong.”
Akiode said he only learned afterward that the couple often fought.
"After their deaths, some claimed they fought frequently. I never saw or heard of such fights myself.
"They were kind, like siblings. They looked happy together, and I never imagined they could cause such pain.”
He emphasized that the tragedy should serve as a reminder for couples to be more tolerant and patient.
“It’s very troubling that this happened between spouses. It calls for serious reflection. Even disagreements shouldn’t lead to loss of life.
“We must build relationships based on love and seek help early when issues arise."
Youth leader Seun Adelana told journalists that infidelity was believed to be the main cause.
“He said, “Allegations of infidelity from both the husband and wife were said to have been the major reason responsible for this sad event.
“The husband accused the wife of dating another man, and some said he was also involved with another woman. These accusations likely led to the conflict that resulted in the wife’s death,’" Adelana added.
However, neighbor Mrs. Oluwatoyin Oseni offered a different view.
Oseni, tearful, said the couple fought often, sometimes leaving the wife injured.
"Mummy Daniel and her husband, called Iri Orun, fought frequently. I recently helped care for the wife after one of their fights.
“There was police involvement before, and we thought everything was settled. It was only after the tragedy that we realized they hadn’t spoken since June due to constant disagreements," she shared.
She recalled their 14-year-old son, Daniel, waking her around 2 a.m. after discovering his father attacked his mother.
"We rushed to the scene and found Mummy Daniel dead, with head injuries in a pool of blood.
“We learned the Shepherd used a machete and a stool to smash her head. Daniel had a cutlass too.
"He told me calmly he felt he was already gone, so he didn’t approach us."
Oseni said Odukoya later went inside, but neighbors didn’t realize he had fled that night to take his own life in Ifo.
"He went inside, but nobody knew he escaped that midnight,” she said.
She expressed regret that she advised the wife to seek peace, adding, “Nobody expected this. It’s like a movie. No one thought it could happen here.
“I’ve been crying because I always told Mummy Daniel to be patient and avoid fights. Now, everything ended so terribly.”
The Asiwaju of Ibogun Akiode, Chief Oluwasegun Adeboye, 76, also expressed deep sadness.
He noted that residents found it hard to believe the couple was involved in such tragedy because they were peaceful neighbors.
He said residents only started talking about their fights after the incident.
“It was after the tragedy that we learned they fought often and had court issues. They were told to settle out of court but to return for legal processes," he said.
He added, “They were to return to court on Wednesday, but everything ended Monday, two days earlier.”
The community leader also suggested spiritual powers might have been involved.
"Some of us believe that this could be linked to diabolical forces; it’s beyond the ordinary. We hope the devil won’t take hold of our homes," he said.
When asked, ASP Opeyemi Oluborode, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, said the police are investigating.
"We are aware of the case. The case file is being transferred to the SCID for thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding these tragic events," he stated.
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