(Muritala Shodiya. Photo by Legit News)
Residents of Adebiopon village in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State were thrown into shock on Wednesday after a 50-year-old traditional priest, Muritala Shodiya, reportedly t00k his own life inside an uncompleted building.
Community sources told a correspondent on Thursday that the incident occurred on Wednesday evening.
Residents were said to have quickly intervened to help him before rushing him to the General Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, where he later d!ed on Thursday morning.
Shodiya, popularly known in the community as “Ifa,” was widely recognised for his involvement in fortune-telling and Ifa worship.
He was said to have practised for years in the Ijaye area before relocating to Adebiopon Village.
A community source, who spoke anonymously because of the sensitive nature of the incident, alleged that the traditional priest had recently shown signs of emotional distress following marital challenges, saying he had not been himself since his wife left him for another man and had been exhibiting signs consistent with depression.
Another resident, identified simply as Kazeem, said villagers made frantic efforts to rescue the victim once they realised what was happening, recalling that they rushed to the scene, intervened, and took him to hospital, only to learn the following morning that he had d!ed.
He added that although rumours initially circulated suggesting that other people might have been responsible for the incident, preliminary accounts indicated that the deceased had acted alone, noting that he had emerged from nearby bush still in the midst of the incident.
He added that Shodiya had formerly lived in Ijaye-Adebakin, Abeokuta, before moving to Adebiopon Village in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Babaseyi Oluseyi, said an investigation had commenced into the circumstances surrounding the case.
He stated that on July 1, 2026, the 50-year-old man was rescued and taken to the General Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, for treatment, and that police officers had visited the scene, documented the incident, and commenced an investigation.
