Ondo Tragedy: 3 Siblings, Including Twins, Found Dead Near River on Family Farm

Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Abayomi

Ondo Tragedy: 3 Siblings, Including Twins, Found Dead Near River on Family Farm

A routine trip to a family farm in Akure, Ondo State, has ended in unimaginable tragedy after three siblings—including a set of 11-year-old twins—were found dead near the bank of a small river on the property, plunging their community into mourning.

The deceased children have been identified as 11-year-old twins Joshua Jonah and Jacob Jonah, and their five-year-old younger sister, Blessing Jonah. The devastating discovery was made on Saturday, September 5, 2026, less than 24 hours after the children were reported missing from their father’s farm located around the Owena Army Barracks area on the outskirts of Akure, the Ondo State capital.

According to family sources, the three children had accompanied their father, Samuel Jonah, to the farm on Friday, September 4, 2026. At some point, they reportedly left the farm ahead of their father to return home. However, when Samuel later returned home and could not find them, he immediately raised the alarm, prompting an extensive search by family members and neighbours around the farm, bushes, and adjoining paths. The search ended in sorrow on Saturday morning when the bodies of the three siblings were discovered near the bank of a small river within the farm.

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The tragic incident has thrown the Jonah family’s residence at Oke Ogba, Akure, into deep grief. When journalists visited the family home, the compound was filled with grieving relatives, friends and neighbours offering condolences, while the atmosphere remained tense and sorrowful as many struggled to come to terms with the loss of three young children from the same household in a single incident. One neighbour was quoted as saying, “It is too painful. Twins and their little sister. All gone together.”

The Ondo State Police Command confirmed the tragic incident. The command’s spokesman, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, stated that the children had gone to the farm with their father before their disappearance was discovered upon his return home. He added that a search operation was subsequently conducted, leading to the discovery of their bodies near the riverbank within the farm. “The Command is documenting the incident and investigation is ongoing to ascertain what led to their death,” Abayomi said. He confirmed that the bodies had since been released to their father, Samuel Jonah, for burial.

The police spokesperson also used the opportunity to advise parents and guardians to exercise greater vigilance over children, particularly when they are near rivers, streams, ponds, and other potentially dangerous bodies of water. He expressed the command’s condolences to the bereaved family and assured the public that the investigation would continue until the exact circumstances surrounding the deaths are established.

As of press time, the police had yet to establish the circumstances surrounding the children’s deaths. While the family prepares for their burial, the community continues to await answers over the tragedy that claimed three young lives from the same household. The incident has also renewed concerns in Akure over child safety on farms and around water bodies.