Horror in Lagelu: Three Arrested as Family of Six is Murdered and Thrown into River in Ibadan

​IBADAN — Residents of Oloba Village in Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State are reeling in shock following the gruesome extermination of a family of six, who were brutally murdered and dumped in a nearby river after a midnight invasion.

​The Oyo State Police Command confirmed the arrest of three suspects in connection with the heinous crime: Hammed Akinbami, Akinbami Ojo, and Padonu Edward, all local residents of the village.

​A Midnight Raid of Unfathomable Cruelty

​According to police reports, the tragedy unfolded on September 22, 2026, at approximately 7:00 p.m. Armed with a locally made Dane gun, two cutlasses, and a heavy wooden club, the trio stormed the residence of Ifeanyi Chukwu, his wife, and their four children.

​What began as a robbery quickly descended into pure savagery. Investigators disclosed that the assailants dispossessed the family of ₦200,000 in cash, a Boxer motorcycle, a Doma machine equipped with a chainsaw, and a spraying machine.

​During the onslaught, Hammed Akinbami allegedly shot the household head, Ifeanyi Chukwu, while Akinbami Ojo and Padonu Edward descended upon the wife, bludgeoning her fatally on the head. In an act of chilling premeditation, two of the young children were bound hand and foot before being hurled alive into a nearby river. The remaining family members were similarly killed and their bodies disposed of in the same watery grave to eliminate witnesses.

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​Intelligence and Confession

​The breakthrough came following actionable intelligence received by the command on October 2, 2026. Detectives swung into action, trailing the clues that led directly to the suspects’ hideout in Oloba Village.

​Operatives recovered several critical exhibits from the scene and the suspects’ possession, including the family’s stolen Boxer motorcycle, the Dane gun, the cutlasses, and the wooden club used in the assault. Upon interrogation, all three suspects made full confessional statements detailing their roles in the massacre.

​The Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, noted that the remains of the wife have been recovered from the river. Meanwhile, extensive search-and-recovery operations are ongoing to pull the remains of Mr. Chukwu and the four children from the riverbed.

​Commissioner Vows Justice

​The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, has condemned the act in its entirety and ordered a comprehensive, foolproof investigation.

​The case file and the three suspects are being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) at Iyaganku, Ibadan, for further legal proceedings and eventual prosecution. The police have assured the public that every individual found culpable will face the full weight of the law.