My three children died mysteriously inside army barracks — Father - Punch Newspapers

Samuel Jonah, a 38-year-old native of Ankpa Local Government Area of Benue State, who lost his three children on Saturday, September 5, 2026, speaks with PETER DADA about how their lifeless bodies were found on his farm inside the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, in Akure, Ondo State Could you tell us the circumstances that led to the death of your three children? We always went to the farm. Since they were small, they had always gone to the farm with us. Whenever we went, nothing happened to us in the bush. There was never any problem. On Thursday (September 3), my children and I went to the farm. I told them to help me harvest groundnuts. We went with their mother because we wanted to carry loads. On Friday, we went to the farm again. Around noon, I left them there and went to town to collect my salary as a security worker. I returned to the farm around 3 pm. I told them that their mother and I would be going home and that they could continue playing around but should return home by 6 pm. What happened thereafter? Their mother and I later went somewhere. By 6 pm, we returned home, but I did not see my children. I was supposed to go to work by 8 pm the next day, so I told my wife to cook while I took my bath and prepared to sleep. I checked around the house but could not find them. I expected them to have come back home later in the evening, but by 8 pm on that Friday, they had still not returned. I began to think that something was wrong. So, I took my motorcycle and rushed to the farm. On my way, I stopped at the first gate of the barracks and met a military police officer. I reported that my three children had gone to the farm and had not returned home since I left them there around 3 pm. I explained that I was heading to the farm because my motorcycle had no light, while my wife was holding a torch. The MP officer told me to go to the MP office and report the matter to the police. When I reported the case, they told me to continue searching. The officer advised me to look for them and also check if they had returned. There is a police station along the road, but it had already closed by that time. I could not get help, so we waited until daybreak. My wife and I also went to our church, thinking the children might have gone to stay with one of the church members. The members said they had not seen them. I checked around the church, but they were not there. I called my pastor and told him that something terrible had happened and that we should pray because I could not find my children. I went to the police station and reported the matter. The police told me to continue searching until 24 hours had passed before they could publicise the matter. I decided to continue praying. How did you eventually learn that your children had been found dead? While I was praying, a soldier called me from the barracks and asked me to come immediately. They said they had found where my children were. I ran from the prayer ground to the barracks and met the soldiers. There is a small stream near my farm. When I got there, they held me back for a while. The army officers interviewed me and asked whether I had any problem with anybody. I told them I did not have any problem with anyone. The officer then informed me that my children had died in the water. I asked them how possible it was for my three children to die in a stream at the same time. When I got there, their bodies had been covered with leaves. I removed the leaves with my own hands. I was deeply pained because those were my only children. I saw blood coming from their ears. I also saw blood coming from the body of my youngest daughter. I had never seen someone die in water and bleed like that. I thought that if someone drowned, the stomach would swell. It should not be blood. With the way you saw their bodies, did you suspect any foul play? I didn’t believe they drowned because when I touched their bodies, they did not look like people who had died in water. There was no water in their stomachs and they were not very wet. I do not think they died through drowning. Something must have happened to them. Army probes officer over alleged sexual abuse of 13-year-old Army arrests suspected kidnapper, recovers AK-47 in Edo Death toll in Ondo suspected herbal poisoning incident rises to 29 What did you suspect? I suspect maybe bandits or some other evil people may have been involved. This is my suspicion, but I did not suspect anybody specifically. There are neighbours around the farm, and some of them are soldiers, but we do not have any evidence against anyone yet. Apart from the soldiers who helped you find them, what role did the police play in the matter? The police later came and asked me what I wanted to do. I told them I had nothing else to do. I have left everything to God. I have no fight left concerning the death of my children. I believe God will fight for me. I only wanted to bury my children. The police took my statement, and the commander of the soldiers said investigations would commence. We were later told to go ahead with the burial. What exactly do you want on the matter? I do not have money to pursue any case against the military or anybody. My children died inside a military environment, and I cannot just walk up to the commander or army authorities by myself to challenge them on the matter. I have decided to leave everything in God’s hands. But if the government can investigate this incident and uncover whoever is behind it, I will be grateful. With your experience in the barracks, has this type of mysterious incident been happening there before? I have heard a case like that happened there in 2020. A child was found dead and one of his arms had been cut off. But in the case of my three children, none of their body parts was missing, but blood was coming from their noses and ears. There is something about the incident that is suspicious. I did not see anybody, so I cannot accuse anyone. But I do not believe my children simply died by drowning. I want the army authorities to properly investigate what happened and find out the truth. How long have you been living in Akure? I came to Akure in 2003. When I first came, I stayed in the army barracks, but I left in 2018 when civilians were asked to move out of the barracks. However, I still have a farm inside the barracks and I have been farming inside the barracks since 2003. Since the time I came around, I have not had an issue with anybody there. I got married in 2014. How many children do you have? It is only the three children who died; they were all I had. My wife gave birth to twin boys in 2015. In 2021, we had a daughter. Her name was Blessing. Peter Dada

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