The remains of a missing 45-year-old pastor, Esere Okilo, have been found in his Bayelsa State home, 15 months after he was reported missing. His decomposed body was discovered on January 22, 2025, in his residence in Ekeki, Yenagoa, a city in southern Nigeria.
Okilo, a pastor originally from Nembe-Bassambiri, had not been seen since his disappearance over a year ago. His sister, who had been facing housing difficulties, visited the house and made the grim discovery. She noticed through a window that the pastor’s skeletal remains were seated on a toilet, clad only in a singlet.
Interestingly, neighbors had not reported any unusual odor coming from the apartment during his prolonged absence. Okilo was known to be a private person who rarely interacted with the community, and he lived in one of two flats within the compound. His elder brother and his wife occupied the other flat, but reports suggest that the siblings were estranged. The door to the toilet where the body was found had been locked from the inside, raising suspicions about the circumstances surrounding Okilo’s death.
Initially, the pastor’s family speculated that he had simply gone on one of his regular church pilgrimages. However, when police arrived at the scene to remove the body, they arrested Okilo’s elder brother on suspicion of involvement in covering up the death.
According to a source at the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa, there were signs that a chemical substance, likely formalin, had been used to preserve the body and mask the smell of decomposition. Medical staff noted traces of the preservative on the remains, indicating an effort to hide the body’s condition and delay the discovery.
This unsettling incident has raised more questions about the pastor’s disappearance and the possible foul play surrounding his death.
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Missing pastor’s remains found in his Bayelsa residence after 15 months
The decomposed remains of a 45-year-old pastor, Esere Okilo, have been discovered in his home in Ekeki, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, more than a year after he was reported missing.
Okilo, a native of Nembe-Bassambiri, had not been seen for 15 months before his sister stumbled upon his skeletal remains on Wednesday, January 22.
The discovery took place when the sister, facing accommodation issues, visited the house. Upon looking through a window, she saw the pastor’s skeleton sitting on a toilet, wearing only a singlet.
Residents of the area were reportedly unaware of any unpleasant odour coming from the apartment during the pastor’s prolonged absence. Neighbours described Okilo as a devout individual who kept to himself and was generally not involved in the community.
Okilo lived in one of two flats in the compound, while his elder brother and his wife occupied the other. Reports indicated that the siblings had been estranged. Neighbours revealed that the toilet door where the body was found had been locked from the inside, raising further questions about the circumstances surrounding his death.
Although the pastor’s family had previously voiced concerns about his disappearance, some believed he had simply gone on one of his routine church pilgrimages. However, after police were called to the scene to remove the remains, they arrested Okilo’s elder brother on suspicion of covering up the death.
A source from the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa told Punch that there were signs that formalin, a chemical used to preserve corpses, had been applied to the body to mask the smell. “Medical staff said there are indications that a substance like formalin was sprinkled on the corpse to stop the smell,” the source explained.
