Tears, Confusion as Prominent Lagos Gospel Artiste, 3 Others Die in Studio
- Gospel artiste Matthew Ogundele and three crew members were found dead in a Lagos music studio
- Victims stayed overnight after performing at a birthday praise event, and were later discovered unresponsive
- Police confirmed that investigation is ongoing, adding that there was no sign of violence on the remains of the victims
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering metro.
Ajah, Lagos state - A gospel artiste, Matthew Ogundele, and three of his crew members have been found dead inside a music studio in Abraham Adesanya area of Ajah, Lagos state.
As reported on Sunday, February 8, by The Punch, the crew members were identified as Joseph Sanya, Itunu Ogundele, and a blogger, Matthew Awosanya, otherwise known as JoesTv.
Source: Facebook
It was gathered that the victims were invited to perform on Tuesday, February 3, which was the second day of a three-day birthday praise organised by another female gospel artiste, Olanireti Akinbola.
A police source disclosed that the crew finished late and decided to sleep over in the studio, where their remains were later found the following day, Wednesday, February 4.
The source disclosed:
“The convener invited some gospel artistes to minister during her three-day birthday praise, which started on Monday. Segun Praise was scheduled to minister on the second day, and he came with his crew. The session started in the evening and ran late, so they decided to stay overnight in the studio. It was the following morning that we heard that their lifeless bodies were found in the studio."
Lagos: Outrage over gospel musician's death
Meanwhile, some colleagues and friends of the deceased have, in a series of posts online, demanded justice for them.
Pictures of the victims circulating on social media show blood stains in their noses, ears and mouths, sparking concern and speculation over the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Police speak on Lagos deaths
When contacted, Abimbola Adebisi, the Lagos police spokesperson, confirmed the incident.
She said the incident was reported on Wednesday, February 4, by the owner of the studio, Akintayo Akinbola, who is also the husband of the celebrant.
According to her, Akintayo said he left the artistes at his music studio located inside the HFP Shopping Complex on Tuesday night, February 3, after buying food for them, as they were preparing for a music concert.
Source: Facebook
He explained that the artistes returned to the studio after collecting the food, while he went home.
Adebisi said:
“However, at about 11 am on Wednesday, Akintayo said he returned to the studio and discovered that the door was locked from the inside. Alarmed by the situation, he reportedly called for help, and the door was eventually forced open. On entering the studio, the lifeless bodies of the four artistes were discovered.”
The X photos of some of the deceased individuals can be seen below:
Furthermore, she disclosed that detectives from the command visited the scene, where photographs were taken, adding that no marks of violence were found on the bodies.
Police arrest 2 suspected robbers
In a piece of related news, the Lagos Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers and recovered firearms and ammunition during separate intelligence-led operations in Ajegunle and Ojo areas of the state.
In Ajegunle, police said actionable intelligence revealed the activities of suspected hoodlums, who allegedly operate with commercial motorcycles while armed with dangerous weapons to dispossess unsuspecting members of the public.
According to Blueprint Newspapers, acting on the information, operatives of the Command Tactical Team, Thunder Blast, were deployed to the area, leading to the arrest of one Waheed Orelope, 27.
Lagos police detain officers over assault
Also, police officers accused of assaulting popular actor and skit maker, Ganiyu Morufu, widely known as Ijoba Lande, were taken into custody by the Lagos State Police Command for investigation.
The development was confirmed in a post shared on X on Friday, February 6, following public attention surrounding the alleged incident.
According to the spokesperson of the police in Lagos, the officers linked to the incident have been identified and are currently undergoing an internal investigation.
Police arrest youth at Lagos airport
In another crime news, the Airport Police Command arrested a 24-year-old man, Precious Onudhona, over his alleged involvement in a N48.5 million romance and online fraud scheme.
Onudhona was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while attempting to board a flight to Asaba, Delta state.
According to the police, preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect allegedly became involved in fraudulent activities in 2023 after joining a syndicate engaged in romance scams.
Read more Lagos news:
- Lagos: LASU graduate shares weird way father saved her number on his phone, triggers reactions online
- Peller: Lagos govt finally breaks silence on TikToker’s N36m tax outcry
Skit maker murdered in Lagos
Legit.ng earlier reported that there was panic in Lakowe community of Ibeju-Lekki local government area (LGA) of Lagos state after a prominent skit maker, Austin, was found dead with machete cuts.
A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security reasons disclosed that the assailants also cut off Austin’s hand in the process.
In a video, the remains of the deceased was seen. Some sympathisers, in tears, circled the body.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
