Nigerian found dead in his car booth in Cyprus

A bad smell coming from a car near a school in north Nicosia, Cyprus led to the discovery of a body in the trunk, later identified as that of a 33-year-old Nigerian, Obasanjo Adeola Owoyale.

He was described as a PhD holder in architecture. He graduated from Cyprus International University. He had first studied Architecture at the Federal University of Technology, Yola and also attended Covenant Christian Academy.

He was declared missing on July 1 according to local reports and found dead on July 8. His body was discovered wrapped in a blanket, as reported by KNews.

It was not clear whether the deceased had a familial connection with former president Olusegun Obasanjo though on his Facebook profile, he wrote that he was from Ilorin, Kwara State.

According to Turkish Cypriot media, concerned citizens noticed a foul smell in broad daylight coming from a parked vehicle near a school in north Nicosia on Monday. Police were notified and immediately sealed off the area before inspecting the vehicle.

Based on preliminary findings, Obasanjo was believed to have been killed elsewhere, then wrapped in a blanket and placed in the trunk of the vehicle. Someone then drove the car and disposed of the body by abandoning the vehicle with the dead body inside.

Reports said police were examining security camera footage in the area to see whether a suspect who left the car might have been captured on video.

Owoyale’s death was not the first in the area, as KNEWS reported. In May, in Nicosia south, a Cameroonian bled to death y following a violent altercation, with Greek Cypriot police attributing his death to a possible turf war.

The 28-year-old male Cameroonian, had been chased and attacked with a glass bottle, while a Nigerian suspect had been captured on security camera footage and later prosecuted. It was not immediately clear whether there was any connection between the two murders.