A family residing in Akure, Ondo State, has been plunged into deep sorrow following the discovery of three young siblings, including a set of 11-year-old twins, lying dead beside a small river near a farm close to the Owena Army Barracks.
The victims have been identified as 11-year-old twins Joshua Jonah and Jacob Jonah, along with their five-year-old sister, Blessing Jonah. The children’s bodies were recovered on Saturday, September 5, after they went missing from the farm where they had gone to assist their father the previous day.
Confirming the incident in an official statement on Sunday, the Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, stated that an investigation was underway to determine what led to the deaths.
The children had traveled to the farm with their father, Samuel Jonah, on Friday, September 4. They later departed the farm to return home while their father stayed behind to continue working.
Panic set in when Samuel arrived home later that day and realized his children were nowhere to be found. Family, friends, and community members quickly organized a search party, combing the farmland and surrounding terrain.
The frantic search ended in heartbreak on Saturday morning when the bodies of the three siblings were spotted along the bank of a small river on the farm.
The news has devastated the Jonah family. Mourners, neighbors, and sympathizers have been gathering at their home in the Oke Ogba area of Akure to offer support during this tragic time.
DSP Jimoh explained that law enforcement was notified as soon as the children went missing, and the discovery of their remains prompted an immediate police probe.
“The Ondo State Police Command confirms the tragic loss of three siblings at a farm located around the Owena Army Barracks, Akure, on 4th September 2026,” Jimoh said.
He further stated: “The victims, identified as Joshua Jonah, 11 years; Jacob Jonah, 11 years, (twins) and Blessing Jonah, five years, reportedly accompanied their father, Samuel Jonah, to the farm. They later left the farm for home, but were discovered missing when their father returned home.”
According to the police spokesperson, the search efforts culminated in finding the bodies the next day, September 5, near the bank of the small river on the farm.
Jimoh noted that the remains of the children have been handed over to their father for burial, while detectives continue gathering evidence to piece together the exact timeline and cause of the incident.
As of Sunday, authorities have not officially stated the cause of death, leaving the exact nature of the tragedy uncertain as investigations progress.
Extending condolences to the grieving family, the police spokesperson advised parents and caregivers to maintain close supervision over their children, especially when near rivers, ponds, or other hazardous water sources.
The tragedy continues to weigh heavily on the Oke Ogba community as residents anxiously await the conclusion of the police investigation.
