A photograph showing the woman who reportedly took her life inside the Mountain of Fire and Miracles (MFM) Prayer City Auditorium has circulated widely on social media, intensifying public scrutiny of the tragic event.
The incident occurred along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and was reported earlier this week by WITHINNIGERIA.
The deceased, identified as 41-year-old Benita Lurk Ikuenobe, was found unresponsive inside the auditorium on the morning of Friday, July 18, 2025.
Church security official Esiere Ekikere, alerted around 7:20 a.m., discovered her lying motionless with a nearly-empty bottle of a suspected pesticide, believed to have been ingested intentionally.
Police officers from the Ogun State Police Command were dispatched to the scene. They documented the scene with photographs before transferring her body to the Real Divine Hospital mortuary, where an autopsy investigation has been scheduled.
The image of the woman inside a religious venue has drawn widespread emotional response. Many social media users expressed shock and sorrow, questioning how such an incident could occur in a church auditorium.
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When contacted for comment, Police PRO Omolola Odutola clarified that the cause of death remains unconfirmed, according to Sahara Reporters.
She emphasized that the incident is still under investigation and discouraged speculation over suicide without forensic confirmation. “The police are yet to establish her actual cause of death,” she said.
This heartbreaking incident underscores the critical need for community mental health awareness, especially in spiritual environments. As authorities continue investigations, the public awaits clarity on whether foul play was involved or if the death was indeed self-inflicted.
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