A tragic incident has plunged a quiet community in Okitipupa area of Ondo State into mourning after a man suspected to be mentally unstable allegedly killed three children, including his own son.
The victims, said to be members of the same extended family, were reportedly attacked with a machete inside their residence on Tuesday.
Among those killed were a female student enrolled in the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board programme, her young cousin, and another boy identified as the biological son of the suspect.
Residents said the assailant, a male relative of the victims, allegedly carried out the attack in the early hours of the day.
A community source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the incident as shocking and devastating.
“Three children from the same family were brutally killed in a tragic incident. The victims included a female student and two young boys, one of whom was the suspect’s son,” the source said.
According to findings, the head of the family, identified as Baba Agbaye, alongside his wife and youngest child, had earlier left for their oil farm before the incident occurred.
It was gathered that while returning home, they encountered the suspect along the road leading towards the Ayeka axis.
The source said when questioned, the suspect reportedly told them he was coming from the family’s house, unaware that the killings had already taken place.
The gruesome discovery was reportedly made shortly after, throwing the entire community into panic and grief.
The remains of the victims have been deposited at a state hospital, while authorities are expected to commence investigations into the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Residents lamented the development, describing it as a painful loss for both the affected family and the wider community.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy. The entire community is in deep mourning,” another resident said.
