Men of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 50-year-old pastor, Isaac Akinbola, and two female members of his church for allegedly assaulting his wife, Dasola Akinbola, leading to the death of their eight-month-old baby, Obadiah Akinbola.

The pastor and the two female members, identified as Esther Olowolayemo, 29, and Oluwakemi Oshinbajo, 30, were arrested over the death of the child.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed this in a statement on Sunday.

Oyeyemi said the incident happened last Sunday and the suspects were arrested the same day after the victim lodged a report on the matter.

“The arrest was made following a report lodged at the Awa Ijebu divisional headquarters by the pastor’s wife that she had been having disagreements with her husband over his illicit affair with some female members of the church for some time now.

“She explained that the said husband came to her house at the Ipinle area of Mamu Ijebu with two women, whom she had been suspecting of having illicit affair with him and asked them to beat her up.

“While they were beating her, her eight-month-old baby, Obadiah Akinbola, fell while her husband was urging the two women to beat her thoroughly.

“Upon the report, the DPO Awa Ijebu division, CSP Adewalehinmi Joshua, ordered the arrest of the three suspects, while the woman and her baby were taken to the Mamu Ijebu Health Centre for medical care.

“The woman and the baby were later referred to Blessed Hospital, Oru-Ijebu, where it was discovered that the baby had internal injuries which he sustained when he fell from his mother’s hands during the scuffle.

“The child gave up the ghost on March 28, 2022, while receiving treatment as a result of the internal injuries.

“The remains of the child have been deposited at the General Hospital, Ijebu Igbo mortuary for an autopsy,” the police spokesperson added.

Oyeyemi said the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, had ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation with a view to arraigning them.