Residents of the Jacob Beredugo street along the Osiri area of Yenagoa in Bayelsa State were on wednesday night thrown into shock and disbelief following the discovery of the skeleton of 45 year-old-preacher, Esere Okilo in his residence 15 months after he was declared missing.
The deceased, Esere Okilo, hails from Bassambiri in Nembe Local Government Area of the state.
The skeleton was discovered by one of his concerned female relatives who was having accomodation issues.
It was gathered that the relative on Wednesday night decided to check on the residence of her brother only to peep through the window to see the skeleton of the brother sitting on the toilet with only his singlet on.
Residents were thrown into confusion as many claimed they were not aware and did not perceive the odour of a decomposing corpse.
According to sources, the deceased was staying in a compound housing two flats.
While he stays in one, his senior brother and his wife occupy the other.
“The two brothers were not on talking terms as he was reported to always referred to the brother and the wife as bewitched duo,” one source said.
It was gathered that a few months ago, the immediate family had a meeting expressing concern over his whereabouts and declared him missing.
But some other family members thought he had gone on one of his usual church pilgrimages.
A neighbour confirmed to newsmen that operatives of the Ekeki Division of the Bayelsa Police Command, who came to evacuate the skeleton of the deceased, arrested the senior brother for the alleged suspicion of covering up the death.
Meanwhile a police source told newsmen that mortuary workers at the Federal Medical Center Yenagoa claimed that there were signs of formalin sprinkled on the corpse to cover up the foul smell coming from the apartment.
Another eyewitness claimed the skeleton was locked in the toilet from inside.
