Horror in Oyo: Family of Six Killed Over Phone Dispute, Bodies Dumped in River
Tragedy struck Oloba village in Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State, where a family of six was allegedly murdered and their bodies dumped in the Osun River over a dispute involving a mobile phone.
The victims were identified as Ifeanyi Chukwu, his wife, and their four children, who lived in isolation on a sugarcane farm about 1.5 kilometres away from Oloba village.
The Oyo State Police Command said the attack happened on September 22, 2026, when three suspects – two brothers, Hammed Akinbami and Ojo Akinbami, and their friend, Padonu Edward – allegedly invaded the family’s home armed with a locally made Dane gun, two cutlasses and a club.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, preliminary investigation revealed that Hammed Akinbami shot the husband, while Ojo Akinbami and Padonu Edward attacked the wife with a club.
Two of the children, including a five-year-old, were allegedly tied by their hands and legs and thrown alive into the nearby river, locally called Odo Oba or Osun River. The other family members were killed and their bodies also dumped in the river.
Robbery and Phone Dispute
Police said the suspects also robbed the family of N200,000 cash, a Boxer motorcycle, a chain saw and a spraying machine.
Investigators traced the root of the attack to a dispute over a damaged mobile phone that occurred about four months earlier. The matter was reported to community leaders and was reportedly settled after the Chukwu family paid N50,000 compensation to Hammed Akinbami.
The settlement, however, did not end the animosity.
How Police Tracked Suspects
The case broke on October 2, when police received intelligence about the missing family. Detectives visited the secluded farmstead, took photographs of the scene and recovered exhibits including the family’s motorcycle, a Dane gun, two cutlasses and a club.
The three suspects were subsequently arrested. Police said they confessed to the crime during interrogation.
One of the suspects, Hammed Akinbami, allegedly admitted that the phone dispute led to the attack and said six people were killed. When asked what punishment he deserved, he reportedly said: “Government should just kill us.”
Padonu Edward, who said he is from Benin Republic and has lived in Nigeria for 12 years, admitted hitting the woman on the head with a club but claimed he was invited to collect money.
The third suspect, Ojo Akinbami, denied killing anyone but admitted tying one of the children and taking the child towards the river, claiming he acted out of fear for his own life.
An Isolated Farmstead
Oloba village is accessed through Ejioku community on the Ibadan-Iwo Road. The journey takes about 45 minutes by motorcycle, passing through palm and cassava plantations, a large cocoa farm and two rivers, before crossing a section of the Ibadan Circular Road still under construction.
Residents said the late Ifeanyi Chukwu, popularly called Baba Chike, obtained the land from the late Chief Samuel Oyebode, Mogaji of the Akintolu family, about 10 years ago and lived there with his family, farming sugarcane which he sold at Erunmu Market.
A community leader, Alagba Olugbade Olufemi of the Akintolu family, told our correspondent during a visit to Oloba on October 7 that the community had earlier advised Chukwu to relocate to the main village for safety, but he declined.
“He was a good man. He would not pick a fight with anyone. He minded his own business,” Olufemi said.
He added that concerns were raised when the family’s driver who usually conveyed their sugarcane to market noticed they had stopped showing up.
Father Disowns Sons
The father of the two brothers, an octogenarian farmer and former hunter who gave his name as Pa Akinbami, expressed shock over the incident.
He said Hammed was formerly a commercial motorcyclist in Ibadan before selling his bike to return to farming, while Ojo had learnt auto repair in the city before also returning to the village to harvest palm fruits.
“I never taught them violence. If the court finds them guilty, government should execute them. They have not allowed me to have peace,” the old man said.
Investigation Continues
As of the time of filing this report, police said only the woman’s body had been recovered from the river, while the remains of the other five victims were still missing.
The Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, has ordered the case transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Iyaganku, Ibadan for thorough investigation.
Residents who spoke on condition of anonymity alleged that the suspects had previously been involved in minor crimes that were overlooked, including an incident where one was allegedly caught with a human skull and another where a son shot at his father.
The police have not confirmed those claims, saying investigation is ongoing.(The Sun)
