Couple found dead at home buried without autopsy in Osun, house help held

Emotion ran high on Thursday when the remains of an Ilesa-based cleric, Olasunkanmi Eso, and his wife, Deborah, were buried in their residence at the Imole Ayo area of Ilesa, Osun State.

The couple were found dead in their house in the early hours of Friday, October 1.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident led to the arrest of their house help said to be 10 years old.

There were reports that the death might be a result of food poisoning, but the Osun Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, said investigation had commenced to unravel the mystery.

Opalola, however, said generator fume was strongly suspected to be the cause of the death.

But a close family source said the deceased were buried without autopsies following a request by the children of the couple that the corpses should be given to them for interment.

The police spokesperson confirmed that the children of the couple requested the remains when autopsies had not been conducted on them.

She said, “We asked that autopsies should be conducted on the corpses. But their children came to us and said they were not interested again and said they wanted to bury their parents.

“The police cannot pay for the autopsy. It is costly and since they are not in support of the effort, that is the end of the whole thing. The children insisted they wanted to bury their parents.”

At the brief burial service for the deceased held amidst tension and conducted by clerics from The Last Day Deliverance Miracle Ministry, Ilesa, families, relations and business associates of the couple wept uncontrollably.

The couple, buried beside each other, were survived by two children, who were also present at the funeral.

Efforts to get the reactions of the family proved futile, as a source close to them told our correspondent that “they are not willing to talk to the media yet.”

(The PUNCH)