HOW TWO BROTHERS, DOG DIED IN FREEZER: From school homework to icy grave

Taiwo Jimoh

Shock, suspicion and despair have enveloped residents of  Ira community in Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Baiyeku Local Government Area of Lagos State, following the discovery of the corpses of two siblings and their dog inside a freezer on Sunday.

The two kids, Emmanuel Edeh  (7) and Darasimi  Edeh (4)  were full of live on Sunday before their death, which many are now describing as strange.  The incident occurred around 4: 30pm on Sunday at Ira community.

The immediate shock of their discovery and death had wear off, residents are now suspecting everyone, including the children’s father. The theories continue to fly, but lacked substance and evidence.

When our correspondent visited the community, everyone appeared to be in mourning. The decomposing body of the dog and the kids’ slippers were sighted by our correspondent.

The grief stricken mother of the children had been quickly moved to her parents’ house. There were speculations that she might injure herself.

Those, who fingered the children’s father as being behind their death, claimed that he must have killed the dog when it was barking, just as he was carrying out the murder of his children.

It was learnt that the father of the kids Mr. Michael Edeh was alleged to a killed the dog when the barking was much when he was allegedly carrying out the act.

Mrs. Abiodun Shobowale 64, a neighbor of the Edeh’s described as unfortunate the death of the boys. She said they died in their prime.

Shobowale said that the mother of the kids was a hardworking woman, who had pinned most of her hope for better future on her children after old age.

She said: “The mother of the kids and her husband had been fighting over unresolved issues for long. But on the unfortunate day of the incident, the woman had gone to where she trades on Sunday. But the families of the husband and wife had intervened in their lingering crisis without solution. We heard that the husband told the wife’s family that he was going to teach her a lesson she would never forget.”

Shobowale further said: “ On the fateful day of the incident, the kids’ mother had gone out as usual to sell. The husband was helping his children to do their homework. We all live in the same compound, but different apartments. After a while, I came to my shop to attend to someone. That was when the father of the kids came to ask me about their whereabouts. I reminded him that his wife said that the children were with him, doing their homework, there was no way they could have come out. He returned to their apartment. Nobody knew the children were already dead in the freezer while everyone was frantically searching for them.”

Another neighbour, who gave her name simply as Nkechi, said that her heart lies with the children’s mother. According to her, to lose two kids in a single day, in one fell swoop was tragic.

Nkechi said: “ We were those that called the children’s mother. We called her immediately their father returned to their apartment, after coming out to ask if anyone saw his children. We told the woman that her husband was looking for their children. A few hours later, their mother arrived on a motorcycle, weeping and screaming. She kept screaming the names of the children. When she got into their apartment, she immediately grabbed hold of her husband’s clothes, demanding that for the whereabouts of their children. The man didn’t respond.”

Nkechi further said: “When the husband did not respond, the woman left him and went into their apartment in search of the kids. While some of us continued to assist in the search for the children. The woman went to the freezer and to the surprise of everyone, saw the children and their dog inside the freezer. They were all dead.”

  

Nkechi added: “The mother raises the alarm, attracting attention of neighbours outside. The death of the children was a shock to everyone.”

A resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that anytime the father of the deceased quarreled with his wife, he would always tell her that  she wouldn’t reap the fruit of her labour on the children. “The suffering of the woman just went in vain. I don’t know where the woman would start.”

A neighbour, who introduced himself as Adetunji, said that immediately the kids were brought out from the freezer, they were rushed to Briggston Hospital in Selewu area.   “When we got to the hospital, we were told that the children had passed on. The matter was reported at the Igbogbo Police Division,” said Adetunji.

The medical director of the hospital told those that brought the children to the hospital, that they were dead on arrival.