A deep state of shock, confusion, and grief has gripped the close-knit community of Adebiopon Village in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State after a well-known 50-year-old traditional priest, Muritala Shodiya, tragically committed suicide by setting himself on fire.
The horrific incident occurred on Wednesday evening when Shodiya—popularly known throughout the region as "Ifa" due to his long-term practice of fortune-telling and traditional deity worship—doused himself heavily with petrol inside an uncompleted building.
Terrified villagers who spotted flames engulfing the structure rushed to the scene, managed to extinguish the fire, and immediately transported the severely burned priest to the General Hospital in Ijaye, Abeokuta. Tragically, medical doctors officially pronounced him dead early Thursday morning due to the severity of his third-degree burns.
"On July 1, 2026, a 50-year-old man, Muritala Shodiya, allegedly set himself ablaze after pouring petrol on himself in an uncompleted building at Adebiopon Village.
He was rescued and taken to the General Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, for treatment. Police officers visited the scene, documented the incident, and commenced an investigation," Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, Babaseyi Oluseyi, confirmed.
While some initial rumors circulating within the village alleged foul play, multiple eyewitness accounts confirmed that the traditional priest acted alone, crawling out of the bush while already engulfed in flames.
Close community sources, speaking under anonymity, revealed that Shodiya had been battling severe, unaddressed clinical depression ever since his wife abruptly left their matrimonial home to live with another man. The Ogun State Police Command has launched a comprehensive forensic inquiry to fully document the circumstances leading up to the public self-immolation.
#OgunStateTragedy #MuritalaShodiya #IfaPriest #ObafemiOwode #MentalHealthAwareness #SuicidePrevention #OgunPolice #AbeokutaNews
The horrific incident occurred on Wednesday evening when Shodiya—popularly known throughout the region as "Ifa" due to his long-term practice of fortune-telling and traditional deity worship—doused himself heavily with petrol inside an uncompleted building.
Terrified villagers who spotted flames engulfing the structure rushed to the scene, managed to extinguish the fire, and immediately transported the severely burned priest to the General Hospital in Ijaye, Abeokuta. Tragically, medical doctors officially pronounced him dead early Thursday morning due to the severity of his third-degree burns.
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"On July 1, 2026, a 50-year-old man, Muritala Shodiya, allegedly set himself ablaze after pouring petrol on himself in an uncompleted building at Adebiopon Village.
He was rescued and taken to the General Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, for treatment. Police officers visited the scene, documented the incident, and commenced an investigation," Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, Babaseyi Oluseyi, confirmed.
While some initial rumors circulating within the village alleged foul play, multiple eyewitness accounts confirmed that the traditional priest acted alone, crawling out of the bush while already engulfed in flames.
Close community sources, speaking under anonymity, revealed that Shodiya had been battling severe, unaddressed clinical depression ever since his wife abruptly left their matrimonial home to live with another man. The Ogun State Police Command has launched a comprehensive forensic inquiry to fully document the circumstances leading up to the public self-immolation.
#OgunStateTragedy #MuritalaShodiya #IfaPriest #ObafemiOwode #MentalHealthAwareness #SuicidePrevention #OgunPolice #AbeokutaNews
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