26th April, 2013
The police in the western Nigerian state of Ondo said on Friday that the 64-year old cleric, Abass Olatubosun, died as a result of fire accident in a lone auto-crash, dispelling theories that he was a victim of an assassination.
Olatubosun died in a fire outbreak in his car on Thursday in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, contrary to speculations that he may have been assassinated.
The spokesman of the command, ASP Wole Ogodo, said no foul play was involved in the incident.
“The former town planner crashed into a heap of sand on the Industrial Estate Road, off Old Aye Road. This caused his car, a Mercedes Benz 230 TE Station Wagon with registration number ONDO AH 746 AKR, to burst into flames and he was burnt to death.
“ The family requested for his corpse and it has been released to them for burial,” he said.
Ogodo, however, called on residents who may have any other information in connection with the incident to report to the police.
The wife of the deceased, Catherine, however, said she received the news of the death with great shock.
She alleged that her husband must have been assassinated, dumped inside his car and set ablaze.
“How can a burnt person appear in a relaxed position? Moreso, his seat was flattened, which shows that he had been killed before the car was set ablaze. In spite of his problems, he was a happy man, a caring husband to me and father to his children because God was in him,” she said.
She added that her husband was loved by all as God used him spiritually to help mankind.
“ There was no apprehension that he did not return on time because he sometimes went to his only friend, Deacon Oyebokun, to while away the time with him. He was earlier involved in an auo-accident in 2005 and only survived through God’s divine intervention. Since then, he has been nursing pains from the burns he suffered, but he still remained a happy man,” she said.