Sikiru Olatunji, a 70-year-old man, who was reported missing in Wasinmi-Imasayi, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, has been discovered dead.
Pa Olatunji was said to have gone to the farm since Friday, February 7, 2025, and did not return until his corpse was found by the community’s security team.
Speaking with newsmen, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Imasayi, Aare Sanni Waheed, who was at the scene stated that the discovery serves as a closure to the search operation.
He said Pa Olatunji’s corpse was found around the Ibese area boundary with Imasayi with his face up while his farming tools were beside him.
“It is very surprising and we are not happy about this incident. This is a very kind and supportive man in the community.
“Many of my men have been in the bush since Friday searching for him, only to discover his body today. It is very unfortunate,” a local hunter declared.
“We found him faced up, his farming tools were beside him, and no form of attack or strangulation was noticed on his body.”
The Baale of Wasinmi-Imasayi, Chief Taiwo Akinola, while reacting to the incident, lauded the security agencies in the community for the search operation, adding that the deceased family can finally have closure to the missing septuagenarian.
He, however, called on the government to site health facilities in the rural areas to forestall exhaustion amongst the aged community.
Meanwhile, the Olu of Imasayi, Oba Lukman Adeleke Kuoye noted that despite the body having no traces of attack, he is, however, not ruling out the influx of herdsmen into the community as a factor.
“Thank God I was one of the Obas that joined the State Chairman of Ogun State Council of Obas, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, at his private residence today to receive the Commissioner of Police CP Lanre Ogunlowo, Ph.D at his private palace in Ilaro-Yewa on a familiarisation visit to the monarch.
“This issue of herdsmen took centre stage during the interactive session. We cannot rule out the herdsmen, because once they have been sent away from Ibese, the neighbouring community was the next habitat for them, and once they have perpetrated their evil act, they run away from that zone.
“We are appealing to the Ogun CP, that the resolution of the last joint meeting on security, on the issue of herdsmen at Ibese should be implemented so that we will not be doubting ourselves when issues like this happen.
“If postmortem is carried out on the deceased, we cannot rule out the herdsmen from this case,” the monarch said.
