Residents of Oda Town in the Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State were thrown into mourning on Wednesday after a middle-aged man identified simply as Friday was found dead in an abandoned building in the community.
The deceased, popularly known as “Koko,” was said to be an indigene of Cross River State who lived with members of his family in the Emiloro area of the town.
Sources in the community disclosed that the man was discovered hanging inside a dilapidated structure located close to the residence of his mother and siblings.
His body was later brought down from the scene and laid on the floor of the building as sympathisers, neighbours and friends gathered to console the bereaved family.
When our correspondent visited the area, mourners were seen in clusters discussing the tragic development while the remains of the deceased were still at the scene.
One of his friends, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed shock over the incident, saying the deceased had always advised his peers against engaging in nightlife and other social excesses.
“I still can’t understand what could have pushed him into taking such a decision,” the friend said.
Another associate of the deceased, who was visibly emotional, said he was on his way to meet Friday for their daily activities when he received the news of the tragedy.
He described the incident as painful and devastating, especially for the deceased’s mother, siblings and close friends.
As of the time of filing this report, the circumstances surrounding the incident remained unclear, while the body had yet to be evacuated from the building.