In Ido-Ile, Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti State, the police have apprehended Pastor Abiodun Sunday Oluwadare on charges of murdering his pregnant wife, Tosin Oluwadare.
The State Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Sunday Abutu, confirmed the arrest, emphasizing that the investigation is currently underway.
Reports indicate that the pastor, known as Araina, allegedly strangled Tosin to death for ritualistic purposes around 9 pm on November 19, 2023.
The suspect was intercepted with the victim’s corpse as he attempted to leave the town, purportedly to extract the fetus from her womb without parental consent. This disturbing incident occurred at Ita-Ido, leading to the pastor’s initial detention at the local police post in Ido-Ile, followed by subsequent transfers to the Ekiti West District Police and the homicide section of the State command.
Adding to the unsettling background, the pastor, a former herbalist, had previously served at a Christ Apostolic Church in Ori-Oke, Ido Mountain, Ekiti West, where he faced expulsion for an alleged child kidnapping incident.
A step-brother of the deceased, Mr. Samuel Ibironke, also confirmed the incident.
“After killing my sister, he called my wife who is a health worker to come and assist him, only for my wife to get there and discover that he strangled my sister to death,” Samuel explained.
Reacting to the killing, the traditional ruler of the community, Oba Aderemi Obaleye, condemned the killing of the woman, saying, “It is a very sad development which nearly set the town on fire because the youths went on rampage in protest against the so-called pastor,”
“I want the authorities to investigate the matter and bring the culprit to book so as to serve as a deterrent to others.”
