Three Siblings Found Dead Near River on Ondo Farm

By Benson Daniel

A family in Akure, Ondo State, has been thrown into mourning following the discovery of three siblings dead near a small river on a farm around the Owena Army Barracks area.

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

The children had reportedly accompanied their father, Samuel Jonah, to the farm on Friday, September 4, but later left the farm to return home while their father remained behind.

Concern reportedly grew when their father returned home and discovered that the children had not arrived. Family members, neighbours and other residents subsequently began searching the surrounding area.

The search ended in tragedy on Saturday, September 5, when the bodies of the three children were found near the bank of a small river within the farm.

The discovery has left relatives and residents of the Oke Ogba area of Akure devastated, with sympathisers visiting the family to offer condolences.

The Ondo State Police Command confirmed the incident on Sunday and said investigations had commenced to determine exactly what happened to the children.

Police spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said the command was documenting the circumstances surrounding the deaths and working to establish the cause.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Felix Ohagwu, has directed a thorough investigation into the incident.

The police said the bodies had been released to the father for burial, while detectives continue efforts to establish the circumstances that led to the deaths.

The incident has raised concerns over the safety of children around farms, rivers and other bodies of water, particularly in rural and semi rural areas where access to emergency services can be limited.

However, authorities have not confirmed that drowning was responsible for the deaths, and the circumstances remain unclear pending the outcome of the investigation.

The police have appealed to parents and guardians to exercise greater vigilance when children accompany them to farms or areas close to rivers, streams and ponds.

For the Jonah family, the tragedy has brought an unimaginable loss, with three children from the same household dying within a short period of time.

As investigators work to piece together the events surrounding the deaths, residents are awaiting answers on what happened to the siblings after they left the farm and how they came to be found near the river.