Police arrested a mentally ill man who tried to steal a deity statue

 

The Ogun State Police Command has disclosed that Jeremiah Nwoke, the man accused of attempting to steal the crown of the Agemo deity statue in Ijebu Ode, is suspected to be suffering from mental illness.

 On Saturday, April 12, 2025, Nwoke was apprehended for allegedly causing damage to the Agemo statue at the Itoro Roundabout in Ijebu Ode, along Folagbade Road. Residents allegedly discovered the golden statue, which had been commissioned more than two decades earlier, desecrated early that morning. Unconfirmed reports stated that the suspect was dead, and a viral video showed a man in a blue top lying motionless not far from the fallen deity statue. Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, clarified in a statement to PUNCH Metro on Sunday that contrary to circulating rumours, the suspect did not die.

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 Odutola made the following statement: "A male adult, Jeremiah Nwoke, desecrated the revered Agemo Shrine by severing its crown. Since then, the crown has been recovered and is in safe custody at the Obalende Police Station." 

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She explained that traditional worshipers who were outraged by the sacrilegious act were prevented from becoming agitated by the prompt police intervention at the scene. “Prompt response by the police at the scene calmed tension and prevented potential violent escalation by traditional worshippers,” she said.

 Odutola went on to say that the suspect is undergoing a psychological evaluation at the moment. She continued, "Initial observations suggest signs of mental instability." Despite the incident, Odutola assured residents that the area remains peaceful.  “Ijebu Ode remains calm.  She stated, "The public is assured of their safety as the incident investigation continues."