Pastor Arrested for Alleged Ritual Murder of Pregnant Wife

Police have arrested Abiodun Sunday Oluwadare, a pastor, in connection with the alleged murder of his pregnant wife,

Tosin Oluwadare, in Ido-Ile, Ekiti West LGA of Ekiti State. DSP Sunday Abutu, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, confirmed the arrest, stating that the investigation is ongoing.

The pastor, popularly known as Araina, is accused of strangling Tosin to death for ritual purposes around 9 pm on November 19, 2023. Reports indicate that he was apprehended with the victim's corpse while attempting to leave the town to extract the fetus from her womb without her parents' approval. The incident occurred at Ita-Ido, leading to his detention at the police post in Ido-Ile, and later at Ekiti West District Police, before being transferred to the homicide section of the State command.

Further details reveal that the pastor, a former herbalist, was assigned to a Christ Apostolic Church in Ori-Oke, Ido Mountain, Ekiti West. He had previously faced expulsion from the church for allegedly kidnapping a child. Samuel Ibironke, the step-brother of the deceased, confirmed the incident, recounting how the pastor called his wife, a health worker, for assistance, only for her to discover that the pastor had strangled Tosin to death.

The traditional ruler of the community, Oba Aderemi Obaleye, condemned the heinous act, describing it as a sad development that almost incited unrest in the town. The youth protested against the pastor, prompting Oba Aderemi Obaleye to call for a thorough investigation and the prosecution of the culprit to serve as a deterrent to others.