Three siblings, including 11-year-old twin brothers and their five-year-old sister, have been found dead near a stream at a farming area within the Owena Army Barracks in Akure, Ondo State.
The victims were identified as Joshua Jonah, Jacob Jonah, both 11, and their younger sister, Blessing Jonah, aged five.
Their father, Samuel Jonah, said the children accompanied him and their mother to their farm on Friday, September 4, 2026, but disappeared after he left the farm to collect his salary.
According to him, he had instructed the children to return home by 6pm while he and their mother went elsewhere.
However, when the couple returned home, the children were nowhere to be found.
Worried by their absence, Jonah said he began searching for them and reported the matter to military personnel within the barracks. He also sought help from the police and contacted their church and pastor.
The search continued into Saturday until a soldier reportedly contacted him and asked him to return to the barracks.
Jonah said he was taken to a stream close to his farm, where the bodies of his three children had been discovered and covered with leaves.
The grieving father expressed doubts about the circumstances of their deaths, saying he observed blood around the children’s ears and on the body of his youngest daughter.
He also claimed that the bodies were not sufficiently wet and that he did not observe water in their stomachs, leading him to suspect that they may not have drowned.
Jonah, however, acknowledged that he had no direct evidence against anyone and called for a thorough investigation into the tragedy.
The children’s uncle, Mazi Hassan, also demanded justice, urging the authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Confirming the incident, the Ondo State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said the three children were reported missing after accompanying their father to the farm.
He said a search operation led to the discovery of their bodies on September 5 near the bank of a small river within the farming area.
According to the police, the remains have been released to the family for burial, while investigations are ongoing to establish the exact circumstances and cause of death.
The Ondo State Army spokesperson, Omale Innocent, said he became aware of the incident through social media and confirmed that the police had taken over the investigation.
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