Security Guard Brutally Murdered at Church Altar in Ogun State
In a shocking and violent incident, unknown assailants invaded Christ Crusaders’ Deliverance Ministries located in the Akute-Odo community within Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State. The attackers brutally hacked the church's security guard, popularly known as Baba Iwo, to death at the altar, sending waves of fear and outrage through the local community.
Details of the Tragic Attack
A resident identified only as Ajoke provided harrowing details to reporters, explaining that the incident occurred around 1 a.m. on Monday, February 10, 2026. At the time, there was no power supply in the area, creating a dark and tense atmosphere. Baba Iwo, who was stationed outside the church, became suspicious after noticing unusual movements within the premises.
"With his cutlass in hand, he told another security guard who works in a nearby area that he wanted to go inside the church to inspect what was going on," Ajoke recounted. When the inspection took longer than expected, the other guard grew alarmed and decided to investigate further.
"When he peeped through the entrance of the church, he saw Baba Iwo lying helpless on the altar. He also noticed someone suspected to be one of the attackers hiding behind one of the doors, and that was when he raised the alarm," she added, describing the grim discovery.
Community Intervention and Arrest
Another resident, Moses, revealed that the attackers appeared to have attempted to sever the victim’s head during the assault. "If you see his head, the neck was almost completely severed. I believe they tried to cut it off several times, but for the quick intervention of the youths, they would have succeeded," he stated, highlighting the brutality of the attack.
Although the exact number of assailants remains unclear, one suspect believed to be directly involved in the attack was apprehended while attempting to flee. The suspect was later handed over to operatives of the Ajuwon Police Division. Dare, one of those involved in the arrest, described the challenging capture.
"It was very difficult to arrest him. Although we heard there were three attackers, only one was caught while trying to escape. We chased him while shouting 'thief, thief'. When he realised he might be caught, he also started shouting 'thief' until we eventually overpowered him near the tollgate. Before we subdued him, he injured two of us with the big cutlass he was holding," Dare explained.
Eyewitness Accounts and Disturbing Claims
An eyewitness identified only as Tife alleged that the suspect made disturbing claims while being questioned by residents. "He said what they do is cut people’s heads. The police need to conduct a thorough investigation. If he truly said there were three of them, the church’s CCTV footage should be checked to confirm whether the others escaped," she urged.
Tife also reported that the suspect damaged streetlights while fleeing, possibly to avoid recognition. "As he was running, he was breaking street bulbs so that he wouldn’t be recognised. A thorough investigation is needed, and the church should provide its CCTV footage," she added, emphasizing the need for transparency and justice.
Police Response and Ongoing Investigation
The spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Babaseyi Oluseyi, confirmed the incident and stated that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation. He noted that the body of the deceased had been released to his family in line with Islamic rites, as the family are Muslims.
"The body was released to the family because they are Muslims. The investigation is ongoing, and we cannot speculate. The investigation will reveal the details," Oluseyi said. He added that certain aspects of the probe would remain confidential until its conclusion. "There are things in the investigation that must be kept discreet. When the investigation is concluded, our findings will be made known," he assured the public.
This tragic event has left the Akute-Odo community in mourning and raised serious concerns about security in the area. Authorities are urged to intensify efforts to ensure such brutal attacks are prevented in the future.
