Gospel Musician, 3 crew members found dead in Lagos studio

A gospel musician, Matthew Ogundele, and three members of his team have been discovered dead inside a music studio located in the Abraham Adesanya area of Ajah, Lagos State.

The other victims have been identified as Itunu Ogundele, Joseph Sanya, and a blogger, Matthew Awosanya, who was popularly known as JoesTv.

Reports indicate that the group was scheduled to perform on Tuesday, the second day of a three-day birthday praise event organized by fellow gospel artist Olanireti Akinbola.

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A police source confirmed on Saturday that the artists arrived for the program in the evening and performed late into the night. Due to the late hour, they reportedly decided to stay overnight at the studio, where their bodies were found the next morning.

“The convener organized a three-day birthday praise which began on Monday. Matthew Ogundele and his crew were billed to minister on Tuesday,” the source explained. “The program lasted late, so they decided to sleep over in the studio. It was the next morning that information filtered in that their lifeless bodies had been found.”

A Christian blog, Omojesu, also covered the incident in a Facebook post, noting that the victims chose to remain at the studio because of the long distance to their homes. “In pursuit of a better life, a blogger known as JoesMediaTv and three musicians were reportedly invited to perform at a virtual birthday praise event at a studio around Ajah. Due to the distance, they decided to sleep over. Sadly, they were said to have passed away in their sleep,” the post stated.

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The incident was reported to the Ajiwe Police Station in Ajah. In response, friends and colleagues of the deceased have taken to social media to call for a thorough investigation and demand justice.

Images circulating online, which show traces of blood around the victims’ noses, mouths, and ears, have fueled public speculation about the cause of their deaths.

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the incident, stating that the studio owner, Akintayo Akinbola—husband of the celebrant—reported the deaths on Wednesday. According to Adebisi, Akinbola informed the police that he had left the artists in his studio at the HFP Shopping Complex on Tuesday night after buying them food as they prepared for a music concert.

“He stated that the artistes returned to the studio with the food while he went home,” Adebisi said. “However, at about 11 a.m. on Wednesday, he returned and discovered that the studio door was locked from the inside. Alarmed, he raised the alarm and the door was forced open. Upon entry, the lifeless bodies of the four artistes were found inside the studio.”

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She added that detectives visited the scene to document their findings and noted that there were no visible signs of violence on the bodies. “The corpses were taken to the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, where a medical doctor confirmed them dead. They were later deposited at the Mainland General Hospital mortuary for autopsy and preservation,” she continued.

Adebisi also confirmed that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) at Panti, Yaba, for a comprehensive investigation to determine the exact cause of death.