A serene community in Okitipupa, Ondo State, was plunged into grief on Tuesday following the brutal killing of three children in what residents described as a shocking domestic incident.
The victims, all from the same extended family, were reportedly hacked to death with a machete inside their home.
Among the deceased were a female student enrolled in the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB) programme, her young male cousin, and the biological son of the suspected attacker.
Preliminary reports indicate that the suspect, a male relative believed to be mentally unstable, carried out the attack earlier in the day.
“Three children from the family of Baba Agbaye were brutally murdered,” a distressed resident recounted. “The victims included a JUPEB student, her cousin, and the suspect’s own son. The entire community is in shock.”
According to sources, the head of the family, Baba Agbaye, along with his wife and youngest child, had gone to their oil farm earlier on Tuesday. On their way back, they reportedly encountered the suspect heading toward the Ayeka area.
“When they questioned him, he claimed he was coming from Baba Agbaye’s house. Little did they know he had already committed the gruesome act,” a resident explained.
The bodies of the victims have been deposited at the State Specialist Hospital, and investigations have commenced to unravel the full circumstances behind the killings.
Residents described the tragedy as a devastating blow to the community. “This is a heartbreaking loss for the family and everyone here. The entire community is mourning deeply,” the resident said.
Authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward as investigations continues.