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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Ondo Father Rejects Drowning Theory in Deaths of Three Children, Demands Probe

From Vanguard · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Samuel Jonah said his three children, including 11-year-old twins and their 5-year-old sister, were found dead near a stream in an army barracks in Akure, Ondo State.
  • Jonah questioned whether they drowned, citing blood on the bodies and a lack of water in their stomachs, but said he had no direct proof of foul play.
  • Police said they were documenting the circumstances and investigating, while the bodies were released to the family for burial.

Samuel Jonah says he cannot accept that his three children simply drowned. Their bodies were found near a small stream inside the 32 Artillery Brigade Army Barracks in Akure, after an overnight search that began when they failed to return from a farm.

I removed the leaves myself. I was devastated. Those were my only children.

· Samuel JonahThe father described finding his children’s bodies covered with leaves near the stream.

The children were 11-year-old twins Joshua and Jacob Jonah and their 5-year-old sister, Blessing. Jonah, a farmer and security worker at the barracks, said he went with the children and their mother to their farm on Friday, September 4. He left around noon to collect his salary and returned later with his wife, telling the children to keep playing and come home by 6 p.m.

When they were still missing at 8 p.m., Jonah returned to the farm on his motorcycle and reported the case to the Military Police. The family also searched their church. On Saturday, during prayers, a soldier called Jonah back to the barracks and led him to the stream, where the children’s bodies had been covered with leaves.

I have never seen someone who drowned bleed like that.

· Samuel JonahHe explained why he doubts the children died by drowning.

“I removed the leaves myself. I was devastated. Those were my only children,” Jonah said. He said he saw blood coming from their ears and blood on Blessing’s body. The children were not very wet, he added, and he saw no water in their stomachs. “I have never seen someone who drowned bleed like that,” he said, alleging that bandits or others could have been involved.

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

· Mazi HassanThe children’s uncle called for an investigation and justice.

Jonah’s brother, Mazi Hassan, called the deaths shocking and demanded that those responsible be brought to justice. Hassan also claimed a similar incident had previously occurred in the barracks. Ondo police spokesperson DSP Jimoh Abayomi confirmed that the children had been reported missing after going to the farm with their father. He said their bodies were found on September 5 and that the investigation remained ongoing. The cause of death had not been officially determined.

We are documenting the circumstances and investigation is ongoing.

· DSP Jimoh AbayomiThe Ondo police spokesperson described the status of the official inquiry.
About this summary

Originally published by Vanguard in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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