A cleric, Rev Johnson Oladimeji, of Solution Baptist Church, Ikere Ekiti, was on Friday found dead in his car along Igbara Odo-Ikere Ekiti Road in Ekiti State.

Sources, who said the incident might have happened on Thursday, alleged that he was shot dead in his car while returning to the church from a trip to Osun State.

It was learnt that his worried church and family members, who had expected him back on Thursday, organised a search party which later found him dead in his car on the road not far away from the University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti.

A source said, “The man was returning from Osun State on Thursday evening and decided to take Igbara Odo route to Ikere-Ekiti when he was ambushed and shot dead by gunmen.

“After a series of calls to his phone without any response, members of the church started searching for him and he was found dead with gunshot wounds on Friday evening in his car along the road.”

The President of Ekiti Baptist Church, Rev. Adeyinka Aribasoye, said the deceased had travelled to see his mother at Ipetu-Ijesa in Osun State and was returning from the journey when the incident occurred.

Aribasoye said the cleric might have been killed by kidnappers because he did not stop for them.

He said, “Family members were already expecting him, but when they found out that it was getting too late, they began to make a series of contacts. They started searching for him and later found out that he had been killed on the road.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, Sunday Abutu, said he had not received any official report on the incident.