DAMAGE TO AGEMO STATUE IN IJEBU ODE – SUSPECT IN POLICE CUSTODY.
Agemo, the primary deity worshipped by the Ijebu people and celebrated as a protector of children and a safeguard for the future of the Ijebu people through blessings was damaged by a suspect named, Jeremiah Nwoke.
The residents of Ijebu-Ode were said to have found themselves awake on Saturday morning and found a young man who was suspected of removing the golden Agemo statue lying next to the relics of the statue on April 13.
One of the residents said, “The incident is real, it happened right in front of my house. We all heard people making noise, and when I got outside, I saw that the Agemo statue that was commissioned about 21 years ago had been removed while the person suspected to have been behind this sacrilegious act had been struck dead.
“I learnt that the body of the deceased had been moved to the mortuary.”
However, the Nigerian Police, Ogun State Command claimed the suspect is alive in a statement released on Sunday, April 13, titled, “DAMAGE TO AGEMO STATUE IN IJEBU ODE – SUSPECT IN POLICE CUSTODY.”
The command’s public relations officer(PRO), CSP Omolola Odutola, disclosed this in a statement in Abeokuta.
It reads, “The Agemo statue at Itoro Roundabout, Ijebu Ode was reportedly damaged on Saturday, 12th April 2025.
“A male adult, Jeremiah Nwoke, desecrated the revered Agemo Shrine by severing its crown which has since been recovered and in safe custody at Obalende Police Station.
“Prompt response by the police at the scene calmed
tension and prevented potential violent escalation by
traditional worshippers.
“The suspect is presently undergoing psychological evaluation, as initial observations suggest signs of mental instability.
“Ijebu Ode remains calm. Members of the public are
assured of their safety as investigation into the incident continues.”