Bodies of three children found in Nigeria, police investigate circumstances of deaths
In Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria, the bodies of three children from the same family were found near a stream — 11-year-old twins Joshua and Jacob John and their five-year-old sister Blessing. Ondo State police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of their deaths, Premium Times Nigeria reports.
Children disappeared after being at a farm
The children's father, Samuel John, who works as a security guard at the Owen military barracks in Akure, said that on September 4, he, his wife and the children were at a farm. Later, the man went to collect his salary, while the children's mother went to an event in the city. Before leaving, the parents told the children to return home at 6:00 p.m.
At about 8:00 p.m., the children were still not home, so Samuel John began searching. He informed the military police at the barracks, contacted friends and acquaintances, and checked the church, assuming the children might have gone there. The following day, he was informed that the bodies had been found near a river.
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Father asks police to examine possibility of a crime
Samuel John said he doubts the drowning theory. According to him, the children's bodies were not wet enough, and there was allegedly no water in their stomachs. He also claims that he saw blood coming from the children's ears and on the body of his younger daughter. The father noted that he has no direct evidence of a crime, but urged law enforcement officers to thoroughly establish the cause of death.
State police spokesperson Jimoh Abayomi said the children's bodies were found on September 5 near the bank of a small river at the farm after a search operation. According to him, police are documenting all available facts and circumstances to determine the exact causes of the tragedy. Innocent Omale, spokesperson for the Nigerian Army's 32nd Artillery Brigade, said he learned about the incident from social media and confirmed that police are handling the case.
