The Pathfinder
Monday, February 9, 2026
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A gospel musician, Matthew Ogundele, alongside three members of his crew, has been found dead inside a music studio located in the Abraham Adesanya area of Ajah, Lagos State.
The other victims were identified as Itunu Ogundele, Joseph Sanya, and a blogger, Matthew Awosanya, popularly known as JoesTV.
The deceased were part of a group invited to minister during a three-day birthday praise programme organised by a female gospel artiste, Olanireti Akinbola. They were scheduled to perform on Tuesday, the second day of the event.
According to a police source quoted by The Punch, the group completed their session late on Tuesday night and chose to remain overnight at the studio. Their lifeless bodies were discovered the following morning, Wednesday.
“The convener invited several gospel artistes to minister during her three-day birthday praise programme, which began on Monday. Segun Praise was billed to minister on the second day and arrived with his crew,” the source said.
“The session lasted into the night, so they decided to sleep in the studio. It was the next morning that their bodies were found,” the source added.
A Christian blog, Omojesu, also reported that the victims were unable to return home due to the distance between the studio and their residences.
“In pursuit of a better life, a blogger known as JoesMediaTV and three musicians were invited to perform at a virtual birthday praise event at a studio in Ajah. Because of the distance to their homes, they decided to stay overnight.
Sadly, they were later found dead in their sleep,” the blog stated in a Facebook post.
The incident was reported at the Ajiwe Police Station, Ajah, as friends, colleagues, and sympathisers took to social media to demand a thorough investigation and justice.
Photographs of the deceased circulating online showed what appeared to be blood stains around their noses, ears, and mouths, sparking public concern and speculation over the circumstances of their deaths.
Confirming the incident on Saturday, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Department said the case was reported on Wednesday by the studio owner, Akintayo Akinbola, who is also the husband of the celebrant.
According to the police spokesperson, Akinbola said he left the artistes in his music studio, located within the HFP Shopping Complex, on Tuesday night after purchasing food for them as they prepared for their performance.
“He stated that the artistes returned to the studio with the food while he went home. However, around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, he returned and discovered that the studio door was locked from the inside,” the police explained.
“After raising an alarm and forcing the door open, the bodies of the four artistes were found inside the studio,” he added.
The police said detectives immediately visited the scene, documented it with photographs, and observed no visible signs of physical violence on the bodies.
“The bodies were taken to the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, where a medical doctor confirmed them dead. They were subsequently deposited at the Mainland General Hospital mortuary for autopsy and preservation,” he said.
He further disclosed that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, for comprehensive investigation.
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