Eye witnesses told Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, that they saw soldiers take Ajanaku’s lifeless body out of his Ipaja home around 9pm on Friday, in a military ambulance.
Ajanaku’s purported death on Saturday, August 17, 2013, in his hometown, Gbongan, Osun State, had been followed by reports affirming or debunking the claim.
Some online media reports even claimed that Ajanaku rose from death during the week, leading to speculation that the report about his death was untrue.
However, sources on Ikola-Dahunsi Close, where Ajanaku’s house is located, said the controversial church leader was only certified dead on Thursday evening by a team of doctors.
A source said, “We heard that he was confirmed dead on Thursday evening by some doctors. I think he was alive all this while, but barely. So that explains why his church members have been holding vigils in his house since and claiming that he was alive.
“On Friday evening, some military men came to take his body away. They switched off the street lights when they were leaving, but many of us saw his body in the vehicle. We heard he had told his church members to give him seven days to recover and that if he did not get well by then, then they could give up on him.”
The nature of Ajanaku’s purported illness was not known, but an evangelist in his church, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH on Wednesday, insisted that there was “still life in him.”
A press conference earlier announced by the Ajanaku family to hold on Friday, was later cancelled.
However, a statement on Linda Ikeji’s blog, which was said to have been signed by Oluwatosin Faleye of the CRVCI Public Affairs Department, stated that Ajanaku died on Thursday.
The statement read in part, “The death has been announced of Prophet Elijah Iretiola Ajanaku whose death was confirmed by a team of doctors on Thursday night after several vigil of prayers since Saturday evening when his health deteriorated.
“Prophet Ajanaku who hailed from the Owo Ope family in Gbongan is survived by his wife, Joy and two children, Stella and Apotieri. His remains has been deposited at the Military Mortuary, Yaba, Lagos.”
The latter part of Ajanaku’s life was probably made more controversial by his estranged relationship with his spiritual daughter and gospel singer, Tope Alabi. But since news of Ajanaku’s death went round, Alabi, who has been in Canada, has not publicly commented on the issue.
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