The Ondo State Police Command, on Tuesday, said it had arrested one prophetess, Mrs Folashade Adekola, over the death of a woman, Jumoke Adesuwa and her newborn baby inside the church.
It was gathered on Tuesday that the deceased bled to death from complications after childbirth inside the suspect’s church located in the Oke-Aro area of Akure, the state capital. The baby was said to have also died immediately.
It was also learnt that the suspect was arrested by the men of the command after the deceased’s brother reported the matter at the police station.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, who confirmed the incident, said the prophetess was arrested and taken to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation.
“The case was reported by the deceased’s brother, that the sister died after childbirth in the church and the prophetess is already in custody. Investigations are still ongoing,” the PPRO said.
A source in the family who spoke on the condition of anonymity, because he was not permitted to speak with the media, narrated that someone from the church called the family to inform the deceased’s husband that his wife had been delivered of a baby. The deceased’s husband called a family member and both rushed to the church.
He said, “When we got there, they were told that the baby died after childbirth but that the mother was alive. On sighting the deceased, we saw her in a pool of blood, bleeding profusely. So, we rushed her to a nearby hospital.
“Due to her condition, she was rejected at three hospitals and she died in the process of reviving her in the last hospital that admitted her. To our surprise, we got to the church to collect the baby’s remains and found the corpse in a room. The condition of the room was very worrisome as it did not look like a delivery room.
“We approached the Oke-Aro Police Station in Akure to report the case which led to the arrest of the prophetess in charge. The remains of the woman have been deposited at the mortuary.”