Mystery Deepens in Lekki Car Deaths as Autopsy Rules Out Food Poisoning, Families Plan Burial and U.S. Toxicology Test

Matilda Omonaiye/

Fresh details have emerged in the mysterious deaths of popular Nollywood technicians, lighting director Ekemini “GeeTee” Imeh and camera director Ayodeji Walter Odediran, who were found lifeless inside a parked vehicle at a movie location in Lekki, Lagos.

Family sources say an autopsy has now ruled out one of the earliest suspicions — food poisoning, even as investigators widen the scope of inquiry to possible toxic exposure.

According to a close relative who monitored the post-mortem process, the examination conducted on Tuesday found no food particles in the victims’ stomachs.

“That kind of rules out food poisoning,” the family observer said. “But they had opened bottles of drinks, which could be a factor, or some other type of poisoning.”

The late Nollywood technicians were reportedly waiting inside a tinted Nissan car during the shooting of a movie at Evercare Hospital, Lekki. It was being produced and directed by former Big Brother Naija housemate, Boma.

Police authorities are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the filming location, while biological samples have been prepared for toxicology analysis to determine the precise cause of death.

However, the choice of laboratory has become a point of contention for the bereaved families.

They were given the option of testing in Nigeria or sending samples abroad. The family now leans toward the United States after expressing doubts about local forensic capacity.

“The government lab still sends samples to the U.S. as middleman. So it increasingly looks like we’ll send it directly to the U.S. for analysis,” the relative explained.

Investigators believe the toxicology report will be decisive in establishing whether poisoning, fumes, contamination, or another unseen factor killed the two film professionals.

Authorities have released the bodies to the families, paving the way for burial arrangements, a painful step taken even as the mystery remains unsolved.

A burial poster released by the Odediran family confirms that Ayodeji Walter Odediran, aged 36, will be laid to rest on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
• Burial: 10:00 a.m., Ifo, Ogun State
• Candlelight Ceremony: 5:00 p.m., Nazareth Nursery & Primary School, Alishiba, Sango-Ota

The late filmmaker was born on February 4, 1990, and died on February 7, 2026, the same day both men were discovered inside the vehicle after reportedly waiting for filming instructions.

Imeh’s burial arrangements are expected to be announced separately by his family.

The deaths have sent shockwaves through Nollywood, where both men were widely respected behind-the-scenes professionals. Colleagues describe them as hardworking crew members who had simply arrived early for a shoot.

What happened inside the vehicle during those silent hours remains unknown.
Until toxicology results arrive, the tragedy continues to stand as one of the Nigerian film industry’s most unsettling mysteries: two men sitting in a car, no visible struggle, no injuries, and no confirmed cause of death.

For now, families mourn while investigators search for answers.

The final truth may lie in a laboratory thousands of miles away.