Three nabbed after cleric dies in Ondo hotel

The Ondo State Police Command has begun an investigation into the death of a senior member of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Elder Omotayo Fajana, whose lifeless body was discovered in a hotel room in Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of the state.

Fajana, 71, was in Akungba-Akoko for a church programme where he was scheduled to be installed as the Head Prayer Warrior Father (Baba Aladura) of Ogo Orimolade C&S Church, Okerigbo.

Confirming the incident on Monday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said three persons had been arrested in connection with the case and were assisting investigators.

He noted that preliminary findings had raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding the handling of the deceased’s body, particularly its removal to a mortuary without medical certification of death.

Jimoh stated, “The command has commenced a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 71-year-old church leader, Mr Omotayo Ezekiel Fajana, whose body was discovered under suspicious circumstances in Akungba-Akoko.

“The incident was reported at the Akungba Division on Saturday by Mr Olaseni Sunday Olaoluwa of Shijuwade Road, Akure, who alleged that the deceased, his uncle, had travelled to Akungba-Akoko for a church programme where he was scheduled to be crowned as the Head Baba Aladura of a faction of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church at Ogo Orimolade C&S Church, Okerigbo, Akungba-Akoko.

“In the course of the investigation, three suspects have been arrested and are currently in police custody, assisting with inquiries. Detectives have commenced efforts to establish the actual cause of death and determine whether any criminal acts were involved.”

The police spokesperson further disclosed that preliminary investigations indicated that after the cleric was allegedly found dead in the hotel room, some individuals, including church officials and hotel workers, moved his remains to a mortuary in Ikare-Akoko without first obtaining certification of death from a qualified medical practitioner.

According to him, the action has become a key focus of the ongoing investigation.

Jimoh added that the state Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, had ordered a comprehensive and discreet investigation into the incident.

He said, “The Commissioner of Police assures members of the public that the command will leave no stone unturned in uncovering the facts surrounding the incident and that anyone found culpable will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.”

The police urged members of the public to remain calm and allow investigators to carry out a thorough probe into the circumstances surrounding the cleric’s death. (Punch)