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It was both shocking and horrifying to the residents of Jacob Beredugo Street area of Osiri, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on discovering that the decomposing remains of Esere Okilo, a 45-year-old preacher, had been in one of the apartments in their midst without them knowing for over a year.
Esere Okilo, a pastor from Nembe-Bassambiri in Nembe Local Government Area, was declared missing 15 months ago.
The shocking discovery of his remains was happened on Wednesday night after a concerned female relative who, while facing accommodation challenges, decided to visit Okilo’s residence.
The bizarre find threw the residents into chaos.
The sister it was learnt peered through a window, and was horrified to find the preacher’s skeletal remains seated on a toilet, clad only in a singlet.
Described as a reclusive pastor by neighbours, the man of God lived in a two-flat compound, occupying one unit, while his elder brother and the brother’s wife resided in the other.
The brothers were reportedly estranged, with Okilo frequently accusing his sibling and his wife of being “bewitched.”
According to First News, a neighbour said , “No one suspected anything unusual because there was no foul odor. We just assumed he had gone on one of his church trips.”
The online paper reports that family members, initially concerned about his prolonged absence, had declared him missing, though some believed he had embarked on a spiritual pilgrimage.
The grim discovery prompted the involvement of operatives from the Ekeki division of the Bayelsa Police Command.
Upon evacuating the corpse, officers arrested Okilo’s older brother on suspicion of concealing the death.
Further investigations revealed that traces of formalin had allegedly been sprinkled on the corpse, likely to suppress the smell of decomposition.
Workers at the Federal Medical Center morgue corroborated the findings.
The incident has left the community in shock, with many questioning how a death of such magnitude could remain undetected for over a year in a residential area.
The police have promised a thorough investigation to determine the exact circumstances surrounding Okilo’s death and the potential role of his brother in the mysterious case.
For now, the tragic demise of the reclusive preacher has cast a dark shadow over the neighborhood, with residents calling for answers and justice.
