Tension briefly gripped Ooni Ilare Street, Ile-Ife, Osun State, following the sudden death of a young man identified as Sunday, popularly known as Apetu, amid conflicting accounts over the circumstances surrounding his death.
Apetu, said to be a member of a local vigilante group in Ile-Ife, reportedly became critically distressed last Sunday afternoon following a sexual encounter with a woman on the street.
According to a situation report attributed to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the incident occurred at about 2:30 p.m. in the Ooni Ilare area, within the Odi-Olokun Division of Ile-Ife.
The report stated that Apetu was found in a distressed condition and was allegedly seen pleading with the woman while gasping, screaming and displaying signs of severe physical distress.
A video recorded at the scene and circulated on social media has also drawn public attention to the incident. In the footage, the deceased was heard pleading with the woman to give him urine.
However, the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, as authorities have yet to publicly establish what caused the medical emergency.
While some residents have attributed the death to a traditional belief commonly described as ‘thunderbolt’, there is no official confirmation that such a phenomenon was responsible for his death.
The claim is reportedly linked to a local belief that a person believed to be under a ‘thunderbolt’ spell could cause harm to another person through sexual contact. Such claims remain matters of traditional belief and have not been established as a medical or scientific explanation for the death.
The situation report further stated that Apetu eventually died following the incident and that his remains were deposited at the morgue of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife.
The woman involved in the incident was reportedly arrested and taken into custody at the Moore Police Division in Ile-Ife as authorities commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the death.
When contacted over reports circulating on social media, a senior police officer from the Osun State Police Command said he was aware of the rumours but cautioned members of the public against spreading unverified information.
The command said no conclusion should be drawn from social media accounts until investigations establish what actually happened.
The development has generated considerable attention in the community, particularly because of the conflicting explanations surrounding the man’s sudden death.
Residents and community leaders have been urged to remain calm and avoid sensational claims capable of causing panic while allowing the police and relevant medical authorities to determine the circumstances surrounding the death.
When contacted on the development, the NSCDC spokesperson, ASC I Kehinde Adeleke, confirmed the incident.