Father seeks answers after his three children die near a stream in Ondo

A security guard, Samuel Jonah, is asking the police and security agencies to find out what happened to his three children. Their bodies were found beside a stream at the Owena Army Barracks in Akure, Ondo State.

The children were identified as 11-year-old twins Joshua and Jacob Jonah, and their five-year-old sister, Blessing Jonah.

Mr Jonah explained what happened. He said he, his wife, and their three children went to the farm on Friday, September 4, to work. He left the farm to collect his salary while his wife went to an event in Akure.

Before they left, they told the children to come home by 6 p.m. But when it was 8 p.m. and the children had not returned, they started looking for them. “I told them that their mother and I would be going home, and that they could continue playing around but should return home at 6 p.m. Their mother and I later went somewhere. By 6 p.m., we returned home, but I did not see my children,” he said.

Mr Jonah said he often took his children to the farm, so he became worried when they did not come home by 8 p.m. “I began to think that something was wrong. I took my motorcycle and rushed to the farm,” he added.

He immediately alerted the military police at the barracks and called friends to help search for the children. He also checked at their church, thinking they might have gone there, but they were not found.

The heartbroken father, who has lived in Akure since 2003, got a call the next day saying the children were dead beside a river. Initially, people thought they might have drowned, but Mr Jonah said the situation looked too strange to be just drowning.

He pointed out that the children’s bodies were not very wet and their stomachs did not have water when they were found. He also noticed blood coming from their ears and from his youngest daughter's body.

Mr Jonah believes foul play might be involved. He asked security agencies to investigate and find out what really happened. Although he has no direct evidence, he wants a thorough investigation.

The children’s uncle, Mazi Hassan, described the situation as shocking. He called for justice, saying, “Three children from one family cannot just die like that. Government should investigate and bring those responsible to book.”

The Ondo State Police Command said they have started looking into the deaths of the three children. The police spokesperson, Jimoh Abayomi, explained that the children were left on the farm. Their father discovered they were missing when he got home.

A search operation began, which led to finding the children’s bodies on Saturday, September 5, near a small river on the farm. “The Command is diligently documenting all available facts and circumstances surrounding the unfortunate occurrence, with a view to establishing the exact circumstances leading to the children’s deaths,” Mr Abayomi said.

He added that the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, expressed his condolences to the family over the loss of the children. “Ohagwu expressed condolences to the bereaved family and assured them of the command’s commitment to uncovering the circumstances surrounding the tragedy,” he said.

Mr Abayomi urged parents and guardians to be more careful with their children, especially near rivers, streams, ponds, and other bodies of water. Meanwhile, the bodies of the three siblings have been released to the family for burial.