Questions continue to trail the death of a 36-year-old bricklayer, Oladele Godfrey, whose body was discovered hanging inside his room with his hands tied in Alagbado, Lagos State.
The father of three was found dead on Sunday after residents of No. 17 Abeokuta Street forced open his locked room following a persistent foul odour from the apartment.
The unusual circumstances of the discovery have sparked debate among residents, many of whom questioned how the deceased could have allegedly hanged himself with his hands bound.
According to family members, Godfrey lived in the room with his younger brother, who was not at home at the time of the incident. His grandmother, 85-year-old Adebisi Soetan, said the family became concerned after noticing an offensive smell but could not gain access because the room was locked from the inside.
She described the discovery as shocking, especially because of the condition in which the body was found.
Although she said Godfrey had attempted suicide in the past, she expressed doubts about how he could have tied his own hands before hanging himself.
Mrs. Soetan said the deceased recently complained about losing a job opportunity after an encounter with a wealthy man who allegedly insulted him. She said she encouraged him to remain hopeful and focus on rebuilding his life.
Family members and neighbours described Godfrey as someone who had struggled with drug abuse and emotional challenges for years. According to them, he had previously attempted to take his own life by ingesting poisonous substances but was rescued on those occasions.
His younger brother, Opeyemi Oluyemi, also disclosed that Godfrey had recently withdrawn from both the Oodua People's Congress (OPC) and the Eiye confraternity, saying he wanted to change his lifestyle.
"He wanted to focus on improving his life," Opeyemi said, adding that despite his troubled past, the family found it difficult to explain the circumstances surrounding his death.
He maintained that there was no immediate evidence of forced entry, as the room was locked from the inside and the windows were shut before relatives forced the door open.
Some residents, however, questioned aspects of the incident, including the swollen condition of the body and marks they claimed to have observed, arguing that the circumstances required thorough investigation.
Reacting to the incident, a community leader, Prince Jamiu Taiwo, described the death as suicide, citing the deceased's history of previous suicide attempts and drug abuse. He also suggested that Godfrey's former involvement with OPC could explain how he managed to tie his own hands, although this has not been independently verified.
Taiwo said the police were informed before the body was removed to a public mortuary.
The traditional ruler of Alagbado, Oba Adeshoga Williams Adeyoola, expressed sadness over the incident and called for stronger efforts to tackle drug abuse among young people.
He said community leaders had continued to campaign against substance abuse but noted that greater support from government and security agencies was needed to address the problem.
Police authorities have yet to publicly release the outcome of any investigation into the circumstances surrounding Godfrey's death.
