The lifeless body of Chief Phillip Otilo, General Manager of one of the leading automobile hubs in Ogun State, Jadavs Global Auto Ventures, has been found after he was reportedly kidnapped from his office on Saturday.
VOA News gathered that Chief Otilo was found along Owode road in the early hours of Tuesday by passersby who alerted a community leader, Mr. Adefabi. Upon discovering that the lifeless body was that of Chief Otilo, an official report was filed by the community leaders at the Sango, Ota Area Command of Nigerian Police Force.
“I was at home on Tuesday when some people rushed to call me to come see a lifeless body in our area, being a community leader and one of the ex-officio members, I had to quickly rush to the scene. Upon getting to the scene, I alongside few other executives, discovered that it was that of Chief Otilo, whom we heard was kidnapped on Saturday evening. That prompted us to report the matter at the Area Command at Sango, Ota. When Police got to the scene, they found out that he was brutally tortured with strange marks left on his body. More so, vital organs in his body have been removed. This is a very sad trend as we haven’t witnessed a thing like this in time past”. Mr. Adefabi retorted.
He called on the Nigerian Police Force and other security agencies to ensure the killers of Chief Otilo are found and brought to book.
A family source who spoke with VOA News Correspondent on the condition of anonymity, alleged that his Uncle was abducted from his car sales office which also has a car-wash unit adjoined to the car lot about 6:00pm on Saturday by men suspected to be kidnappers. He also said that Otilo has been under ‘constant threat from people suspected to have business dispute with him’. Adding that that his death could be likened to the threat messages and calls he constantly received.
Our sourced further disclosed that Chief Otilo was not known to have any political affiliation or ambition, therefore, his assassination may be unconnected to political assassination
“Chief Otilo was not a politician, neither did he have any political ambition during his life time, so, his death can not be politically motivated.
What we are thinking within the family rank is that it may be a robbery attempt that resulted into abduction. His abductors may have acted on a tip off that he had cash in his office which he was not able to deposit in bank on Saturday. You know, there are several conspiracies that may have led to the untimely death of Chief Otilo, but we believe that his killers would be apprehended by the law enforcement agencies”.
Another source who is close to Chief Otilo, but refused to be named for fear of being trailed, confirmed to VOA News Correspondent that ‘he has a Nephew from Akintoye’s family that resides in the United States of America; but currently imprisoned. Chief Otilo’s Nephew is also a freight forwarder and as gathered, most of the vehicles Chief sells do come from him’.
As gathered, some group of fierce looking men had in recent times, ‘visited Chief Otilo in his office, wanting to retrieve some vital information about his Nephew, who is incarcerated in the states; but Chief was not willing to disclose such information about his Nephew. His non compromising stand, led to his abduction and untimely death’.
Before his body was recovered, the families are said to have received calls from the abductors for ransom and also requested for some vital information, which Otilo, perhaps was not in possession of and sadly, family members could not meet up with their demands before his untimely death.
Confirming the case, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi, attributed the case to another unfortunate incidence in the hands of kidnappers and a rising surge in the country which the government is having a hard time curbing.
On some vital organs of Chief Otilo that was missing, Mr. Oyeyemi said there are rising concern of cruel and diabolical means of making money through ritual killings; but vouched that Police would stop at nothing to bring perpetrators to book.
One of late chief’s daughters who is an undergraduate student of University of Ibadan is said to have mounted pressure on the Nigerian Police Force via different social media handles on the day her father was abducted, but was disappointed that Police could not do save her father from the hand of his killers.
Chief Otilo until his untimely death, was a member and an Elder of the Wesley Methodist Church. Elder Otilo is survived by four children and a wife he got married to after the death of his late wife.
