A sense of unease has gripped the Gbagi area in the Egbeda Local Government Area of Ibadan, Oyo State, after the lifeless body of an unidentified elderly man was discovered.
The body was found on Tuesday morning, lying by the roadside in front of Adriel Academy along the old Ife Express Road.
By the time our correspondent visited the scene later in the afternoon, the body had started to emit a strong, unpleasant odor. Passersby quickly covered their noses and hurried past the area to avoid the stench.
Eyewitnesses told News Bulletin that the man had been seen alive at the same location just the day before, wearing different clothes.
Bunmi Ishola, a local vendor, shared, “He was sitting here yesterday. We were shocked to hear he’s dead now. His clothes were completely different.”
Elizabeth Opalere, another vendor, voiced concerns, saying, “I don’t think anyone knows him. People have been walking by all morning, but no one has come forward to identify him. He seems to be from outside the neighborhood.”
The Head of School at Adriel Academy, Mr. Oje Soji, expressed worry about the health risks the odor posed to the students and considered closing the school for the day.
“We were seriously thinking about closing the school because of the health risks to the students. It’s not appropriate for children to be exposed to such a scene, as it could have psychological effects,” Mr. Soji explained.
He added that the school had informed the police and local council authorities, requesting the prompt removal of the body.
“We’ve contacted the police and the council. They assured us they’d handle it as soon as possible,” he said.
Mr. Aderanti Alao, the Divisional Police Officer for the Gbagi area, confirmed the incident and assured the public that the body would be removed later on Tuesday.
“Yes, we received a complaint about the corpse. We’ve issued a letter to the complainants and informed the council, who promised to remove it today. There’s no need to worry; everything is being handled,” he said.
By Wednesday, Soji confirmed that the council had removed the body, bringing peace to the area.
“They removed the corpse yesterday (Tuesday) evening,” he stated.
