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A wave of unease has swept through Gbagi, located in the Egbeda Local Government Area of Ibadan, Oyo State, following the discovery of the lifeless body of an unidentified elderly man.
The body was found beside the road on Tuesday morning in front of Adriel Academy, along the old Ife Express Road.
When our correspondent visited the scene in the afternoon, the body had begun to emit an unpleasant odour. Passersby quickly covered their noses and hurried past the area to avoid the stench.
Eyewitnesses told The PUNCH that the deceased man had been seen alive at the same spot just the day before, dressed in different clothes.
According to Bunmi Ishola, a local roadside vendor, “The man was sitting there yesterday. We were shocked to hear that he’s dead now. The clothes he wore yesterday were completely different.”
Another trader, Elizabeth Opalere, expressed concern over the situation, stating, “I don’t think anyone knows this man. People have been walking by all morning, but no one has come forward to identify him. It seems he is not from this neighborhood.”
The Head of School, Adriel Academy, Mr. Oje Soji, expressed concern about the health implications for the students, with the foul odour potentially affecting their wellbeing.
He revealed that the school had considered shutting down for the day to protect the children.
“We were seriously considering closing the school because of the health risk to our students. It is not appropriate for children to be exposed to such a scene. It could have psychological effects on them,” Mr. Soji explained.
He added that the school had already alerted the police and local council authorities, requesting the immediate removal of the body.
“We have reported to the police and the council, and they assured us that they would come to handle the situation as soon as possible,” he said.
The Divisional Police Officer for the Gbagi area, Mr Aderanti Alao, confirmed the incident and reassured the public that the body would be removed later on Tuesday.
He stated, “Yes, we received a complaint about the corpse. We have already given the complainants a letter, and I also notified the council, and they promised to remove it today. There is no reason for alarm; everything is being handled.”
When contacted on Wednesday, Soji confirmed that the council had removed the corpse, bringing calm to the area.
“They have removed the corpse yesterday (Tuesday) evening.”
