By Asaye Bankole
A family in Akure, Ondo State, has been thrown into mourning following the discovery of the bodies of three siblings, including 11-year-old twins, on a farm near a small river around the Owena Army Barracks.
The victims were identified as Joshua Jonah, 11; his twin brother, Jacob Jonah, 11; and their five-year-old sister, Blessing Jonah.
According to reports, the children had accompanied their father, Samuel Jonah, to the farm on Friday, September 4, 2026.
The three siblings were said to have later left the farm to return home.
However, upon returning home, their father reportedly discovered that the children had not arrived and were missing.
He subsequently raised the alarm, leading to a search for the siblings.
The search ended in tragedy the following day when the bodies of the three children were found near the bank of a small river within the farm.
The incident has left the family devastated, particularly because the three children died in the same incident.
When Roving Reporters visited the bereaved family’s residence in Oke Ogba, friends, neighbours and sympathisers had gathered to offer condolences and support to the grieving parents.
The atmosphere was filled with sorrow as family members and sympathisers struggled to come to terms with the sudden loss of the three young children.
Confirming the incident, the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said the command had commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Abayomi explained that the children had accompanied their father to the farm before they were later discovered to be missing.
He said the police received information that Joshua and Jacob Jonah, both aged 11, and their five-year-old sister, Blessing, had gone to the farm with their father, Samuel Jonah.
According to the police spokesman, the children later left the farm for home, but their father discovered they were missing when he returned.
A search operation was subsequently launched, and the bodies of the three siblings were discovered on September 5 near the bank of a small river located within the farm.
The police said the bodies had been released to their father for burial, while investigators continued to document the incident and establish the exact circumstances that led to the children’s deaths.
Abayomi said the command was treating the matter seriously and would continue its investigation to determine what happened to the children before their bodies were found.
The police spokesman expressed condolences to the bereaved family and urged parents and guardians to exercise greater caution and vigilance when children are around rivers, ponds and other bodies of water.
The deaths have left the family, friends and residents of the community in deep mourning, while many await the outcome of the police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.
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