The Anguishing Disappearance of Quadri Ogunbode: A Tale of Missing Money, Cultism, and a Church’s Shadow
Quadri Ogunbode, a 28-year-old graduate of Political Science Education from Lagos State University (LASU), vanished into thin air on January 16, 2025, leaving his family in a vortex of despair and uncertainty. His last known location was the Celestial Church of Christ, Ileri Oluwa Parish, situated near the university campus in the Ojoo area of Lagos. Quadri, affectionately known as Howla, was running a private business while awaiting his graduation ceremony scheduled for April 2025. His disappearance unfolded on a seemingly ordinary night when he left to get food for his ailing girlfriend. He never returned. Neighbors, noticing his prolonged absence, alerted the family, setting off a frantic search that has now stretched for almost 50 agonizing days.
The initial investigation by Quadri’s father, Idowu Ogunbode, at the Ojo Police Station revealed that Quadri had contacted both his girlfriend and mother shortly before his disappearance. He informed his girlfriend that he had been stopped by some individuals outside the Celestial Church. Later, around 9:20 pm, he called his mother, requesting N10,000. However, his mother declined, citing the late hour. This was the last communication the family received from Quadri. Desperate, the family searched tirelessly, even approaching the Celestial Church, but their inquiries yielded no clues. A payment of N100,000 to individuals at the police station for phone tracking also proved fruitless.
A glimmer of hope emerged when the family investigated Quadri’s bank records, revealing large sums of money transferred to multiple recipients roughly 24 hours after his disappearance. The transactions, initiated around 2 am on January 17, included a N10,000 airtime recharge to a number belonging to an individual named Sheriff, followed by several other transfers, including one to the church’s prophet. Through meticulous tracking and a clever ruse involving a staged date, the family, with police assistance, apprehended Sheriff and a young woman connected to him. The woman, during questioning, implicated her father, the prophet of the Celestial Church, as a recipient of the transferred funds.
The subsequent arrest and interrogation of the prophet brought forth conflicting narratives. While the prophet initially denied knowing Sheriff, he later admitted to his affiliation with the church. He claimed the money transferred from Quadri’s account was intended for the construction of a church fence. However, Sheriff’s confession at the Panti Police Division painted a far more sinister picture. Incriminating clips found on his phone revealed his involvement in cultism, with the Celestial Church serving as a meeting ground for his group’s activities. This revelation shattered Idowu, leaving him in tears and deepening the family’s despair.
Adding to their torment, rumors began circulating within the community, linking Quadri’s disappearance to a suspected ritual killing. Reports of an exhumed body near the church premises further fueled these speculations, intensifying the family’s anguish and uncertainty. Idowu, having exhausted his resources, including selling his only car, to pursue the investigation, is now left destitute, working as a bricklayer to support his family. His and his wife Rofiat’s pleas for help echo the profound pain and desperation they are enduring. They cling to the fading hope of finding their son, alive or dead, and seek answers to the agonizing mystery surrounding his disappearance.
The incident has sparked outrage and calls for action, particularly from the Lagos State Chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Council. NANS has threatened protests if the state government and security agencies fail to conduct a thorough audit of religious centres operating within student environments. Meanwhile, the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) leadership has vehemently denied the allegations of ritual killing, dismissing them as misinformation spread by "armchair journalists and bloggers." The church confirmed the prophet’s arrest but maintained his innocence, stating that the N70,000 transfer was intended for church fence repairs. As the investigation continues, the Ogunbode family desperately awaits answers, caught in a heart-wrenching limbo between hope and despair. The case underscores the complex interplay of faith, crime, and the vulnerability of young people navigating the challenging landscape of contemporary Nigerian society.
