By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Celestial Church of Christ has commenced a discreet investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Nollywood Yoruba actress, Temitope Osoba, promising to ensure that anyone found culpable, including its Shepherd, Prophet Itunu Onadeko, faces justice.
The church made this known in a statement issued by its Head of Media and Publicity, Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide, AVSE Kayode Ajala, following the actress’s death on Wednesday, 5 August, 2026 which has continued to generate public concern and emotional reactions across the country.
The church said the reactions were understandable, particularly as Osoba died at the age of 40, shortly after surviving breast cancer.
It noted that public suspicion over the alleged involvement of her fiancé, Onadeko, had further intensified reactions to the circumstances surrounding her death.
Expressing sadness over the loss, the church said it shared in the grief of Osoba’s family, relatives and loved ones.
It also expressed concern that one of its Shepherds had become embroiled in the controversy, which it said had brought its name into an embarrassing situation.
The church, however, distanced its doctrine from allegations of idolatry, black magic, cultism or the use of charms, stressing that the Celestial Church of Christ was a Bible-believing Christian organisation operating under established spiritual principles and a code of conduct contained in its constitution.
It described the allegations surrounding Onadeko as disturbing and said it would not remain silent while the name and image of the church were subjected to public condemnation over the controversy.
According to the statement, the church had already begun investigating the circumstances that preceded Osoba’s death and would work to establish what transpired.
It also urged the police and other relevant law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation, assuring them of the church’s readiness to cooperate fully with security authorities to ensure that anyone found responsible is brought to justice.
The Pastor and Spiritual Head of the Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide, His Eminence Reverend Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa, was also said to have assured Osoba’s family and the public that the church’s internal mechanisms were being deployed to establish the truth and ensure that justice prevailed.
The church further warned that if the allegations against Onadeko were established at the conclusion of the investigations, he would face the appropriate internal sanctions of the church and be subjected to the full weight of the law.
The church maintained that the investigation was necessary to establish the facts surrounding the actress’s death and ensure that the matter was resolved through due process.
