Ondo father rejects drowning theory in deaths of three children, demands probe

A father in Ondo State, Samuel Jonah, has called for a thorough investigation into the deaths of his three children, whose bodies were found near a stream inside the 32 Artillery Brigade Army Barracks in Akure.

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

Jonah, a farmer and security personnel working within the barracks, said he was not convinced that the children drowned, alleging that some circumstances surrounding their deaths raised questions that required investigation.

According to him, the children accompanied him and their mother to their farm on Friday, September 4, but were asked to return home by 6 p.m. after their parents left the farm around noon.

He said that when the children failed to return home by 6 p.m., he became worried and returned to the farm on his motorcycle around 8 p.m. to search for them.

Jonah said he subsequently reported the matter to the Military Police and joined efforts to locate the children, with the search continuing until Saturday morning.

He said the family also searched their church before a soldier contacted him during prayers and directed him to a location near the farm.

According to him, the children’s bodies were found covered with leaves near a small stream.

“I removed the leaves myself. I was devastated. Those were my only children,” he said.

Jonah said he became suspicious after observing what he described as blood around the children’s ears and on the body of his youngest daughter.

He also claimed that the bodies were not very wet and that he did not observe water in their stomachs.

“I have never seen someone who drowned bleed like that,” he said, adding that he could not understand how all three children could have died in the water at the same time.

Although he admitted that he had no direct evidence to support his suspicion, Jonah urged the authorities to investigate the possibility of foul play.

“I suspect bandits or other people may have been involved,” he said.

The children’s uncle, Mazi Hassan, also described the incident as shocking and called on the authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

“Three children from one family cannot just die like that. Government should investigate and bring those responsible to book,” he said.

Hassan further alleged that a similar incident had occurred in the barracks in the past.

Confirming the incident, the Ondo State Police spokesperson, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said the children had gone to the farm with their father before they were reported missing.

Abayomi said a search operation was conducted and the bodies were eventually found on September 5 near a small river within the farm.

“We are documenting the circumstances and investigation is ongoing,” he said.

The bodies have since been released to the family for burial.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the 32 Artillery Brigade in Akure, Omale Innocent, said he became aware of the incident through social media and confirmed that the police had taken over the investigation.

The cause of the children’s deaths has yet to be officially established, as the investigation into the incident continues.