By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo
Residents of Jaleyemi area of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, were thrown into palpable shock on Thursday after the discovery of the decomposing body of a young woman inside her apartment.
The deceased, identified simply as Kemisola, was said to be an indigene of Igbajo in Boluwaduro Local Government area of the state.
Sources in the neighbourhood said the woman, believed to be a hair stylist, was found lifeless in her room after a strange odour reportedly began emanating from the apartment.
A resident of the building, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the smell was first noticed on Tuesday evening, but was initially mistaken for that of a dead animal.
The neighbour said that the situation took a disturbing turn on Thursday morning when he noticed the victim’s apartment door open and received no response after calling out to her.
He said, “I decided to check on her when she did not answer. That was when I saw her decomposing body lying on the bed. It was shocking.”
Items reportedly recovered from the room included a knife, a bottle containing an unidentified substance, and the deceased’s mobile phone, which was found close to her body.
Another resident, identified as Omolara, described the late Kemisola as friendly and cheerful, adding that she last saw her on Monday evening when she returned to the apartment.
She explained that the deceased had relocated to stay with her maternal uncle about three months ago and only visited the apartment occasionally.
She said, “Kemisola was a very calm and jovial person. She greeted me on Monday when she arrived, and nobody suspected anything was wrong until the odour started oozing out.”
The deceased’s brother, who declined to mention his name, disclosed that Kemisola had visited his shop on Monday while returning from Igbajo and promised to come back later.
He said, “This is painful. I believe there is more to her death that needs to be uncovered.”
Operatives of the Osun State Police Command later evacuated the body from the apartment for further investigation.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the command, Abiodun Ojelabi, said investigation had commenced into the circumstances surrounding the death.
He, however, noted that no visible mark of violence was found on the deceased’s body