Three members of Matthew Ogundele’s crew and a gospel musician were discovered murdered inside a recording studio in the Abraham Adesanya neighbourhood of Ajah, Lagos State.
Itunu Ogundele, Joseph Sanya, and Matthew Awosanya, a blogger known by his stage name JoesTv, were also named as victims.
According to the findings, fellow gospel artist Olanireti Akinbola invited the dead to minister on Tuesday, the second day of a three-day birthday praise celebration.
The performers arrived for the show in the evening and continued to perform late into the night, according to a police source who spoke out on Saturday.
Because it was late, they apparently decided to stay the night at the studio, where they were found dead the next morning.
“The convener organised a three-day birthday praise which began on Monday. Matthew Ogundele and his crew were billed to minister on Tuesday. The programme lasted late, so they decided to sleep over in the studio. It was the next morning that information filtered in that their lifeless bodies had been found,” the source said.
A Christian blog, Omojesu, also reported the incident in a Facebook post, stating that the victims opted to stay overnight because of the distance between the studio and their homes.
“In pursuit of a better life, a blogger known as JoesMediaTv and three musicians were reportedly invited to perform at a virtual birthday praise event at a studio around Ajah. Due to the distance, they decided to sleep over. Sadly, they were said to have passed away in their sleep,” the post read.
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The matter was subsequently reported at the Ajiwe Police Station, Ajah, while colleagues and friends of the deceased have taken to social media to demand justice.
Images circulating online showed traces of blood around the noses, mouths, and ears of the victims, triggering public concern and speculation over the circumstances of their deaths.
Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the case was reported on Wednesday by the studio owner, Akintayo Akinbola, who is also the husband of the celebrant.
According to her, Akinbola told the police that he left the artistes in his studio, located within the HFP Shopping Complex, on Tuesday night after buying food for them while they prepared for a music concert.
“He stated that the artistes returned to the studio with the food while he went home. However, at about 11 a.m. on Wednesday, he returned and discovered that the studio door was locked from the inside.
“Alarmed, he raised the alarm and the door was forced open. Upon entry, the lifeless bodies of the four artistes were found inside the studio,” Adebisi said.
She added that detectives immediately visited the scene and documented their findings, noting that no visible signs of violence were observed on the bodies.
“The corpses were taken to the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, where a medical doctor confirmed them dead. They were later deposited at the Mainland General Hospital mortuary for autopsy and preservation,” she said.
Adebisi also disclosed that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba, for comprehensive investigation to determine the exact cause of death.
