A 50-year-old traditional worshipper, Muritala Shodiya, has died after reportedly setting himself ablaze in Adebiopon Village, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The incident threw residents of the community into shock as the victim allegedly poured petrol on himself inside an uncompleted building before igniting the fire.
Residents were said to have rushed to the scene, extinguished the flames and evacuated him to the General Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, where he succumbed to his injuries on Thursday morning.
Shodiya, popularly known as “Ifa,” was widely recognised in the area for practising Ifa divination.
He had reportedly operated in Ijaye for several years before relocating to Adebiopon Village.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the incident, claimed the deceased had shown signs of emotional distress following the collapse of his marriage.
According to the source, the traditional priest had been withdrawn for some time after his wife reportedly left him for another man.
Another resident, identified simply as Kazeem, said villagers made frantic efforts to save the victim after discovering him engulfed in flames.
“We rushed to rescue him immediately. We put out the fire and took him to the hospital, but we later learnt that he passed away the following morning,” the resident said.
He dismissed claims circulating within the community that the victim had been attacked, insisting that the deceased allegedly set himself on fire before emerging from the bush while engulfed in flames.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, said officers had launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
According to the police spokesperson, Shodiya allegedly poured petrol on himself and set himself ablaze in an uncompleted building on July 1 before he was rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment.
She added that officers visited the scene, documented the incident and had commenced a full investigation.
The incident is reminiscent of a similar case recorded in Lagos in 2018, when a young man reportedly set himself on fire in the Omole Phase 1 area of Ojodu after allegedly lamenting the country’s economic hardship.