A photo has emerged of 41-year-old Benita Lurk Ikuenobe, the woman who was reportedly found dead in what appears to be a suspected case of suicide inside the auditorium of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) Prayer City, situated along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.
Chronicles Reporters had earlier, on Sunday, July 20, 2025, reported the incident, which is said to have occurred on the morning of Friday, July 18. The situation was initially flagged by the church’s Chief Security Officer, Mr. Esiere Ekikere.
Ekikere revealed that he received an emergency call around 7:20 a.m. informing him of an unconscious woman found lying on the auditorium floor.
Upon his arrival at the scene, Ekikere said he discovered the woman unresponsive. Lying next to her was an empty bottle suspected to have contained a toxic substance, possibly a well-known brand of pesticide (name deliberately withheld).
Security personnel promptly alerted the relevant authorities. Officers from the Nigeria Police were said to have arrived shortly afterward, taking photographs and carrying out preliminary investigations. The woman’s body was subsequently taken to the Real Divine Hospital mortuary for further examination, including an autopsy.
Efforts to get official comments from the Ogun State Police Command led Chronicles Reporters to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, who responded via phone.
In her response, Odutola urged the public to exercise caution in their conclusions, noting that the exact cause of Ikuenobe’s death remains undetermined.
“It is a negative impression people are circulating around the state,” she stated.
“The police have yet to confirm the true cause of death. You know how sensitive such matters can be—no family wants their loved ones linked with such a narrative unless it is firmly established.”
As investigations continue, the case has sparked conversations about mental health awareness, particularly in religious spaces.
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