The Okunade family of Apete and Lakoto in Ibadan is engulfed in profound grief following the tragic drowning of two young cousins in the Odo-Ona River. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, December 28, 2025, claimed the lives of Abdullahi, aged 15, and his 11-year-old cousin, Rasheed.
A Fateful Visit to the River
According to a detailed account provided by a family elder, Alhaji Abduljeleel Okunade, the two boys were regular, albeit secret, visitors to the river. They frequently went to the Odo-Ona River to fish and swim, activities they hid from their parents and guardians. Abdullahi, who was in Senior Secondary School 2 (SS2), was the son of a couple living with speech disabilities.
Alhaji Okunade, who resides in Lakoto approximately two kilometres from Apete, expressed his distress at not being informed of the children's risky habit earlier. "Their elder brothers would beat them, but I was never informed," he lamented, highlighting a communication gap within the family.
Deceptive Depths and Desperate Rescue Efforts
The tragedy unfolded around 1:30 PM on that Sunday, but the family elder was not alerted until about 4 PM. Rushing to the scene, he found the boys' shoes and clothes abandoned on the riverbank. He described the river's hidden danger: "On getting to the river, you will be looking at it as if it could not reach your shin, but if you move a little, it is very deep."
The family immediately sought help from local Hausa fishermen, believed to have expertise in such recoveries. An agreement was reached for a payment of N20,000. The rescuers soon discovered the terrifying depth of the water. "They sank a bamboo pole of about 30 feet, and we could not see it. That was when we knew that there was a very deep part in the river," Alhaji Okunade recounted. Despite their efforts, the fishermen could not retrieve the bodies that day.
Faced with this failure, the family attempted to contact the Oyo State Fire Service for assistance but were unsuccessful. "We called the firefighters, but they were not reachable," Alhaji Okunade explained, pointing to the challenges ordinary citizens sometimes face in accessing emergency services.
A Heartbreaking Recovery and Burial
The search resumed on Monday, December 29. In a turn of events described as surreal, one of the boys was seen floating on the water's surface. Fishermen were then called with a canoe to finally recover both bodies.
The family was then confronted with cultural and religious burial considerations. While Yoruba custom often dictates burial at the riverside for drowning victims, the family made separate decisions for each child. In accordance with Islamic principles, Abdullahi was buried at a cemetery. His cousin, Rasheed, was laid to rest by the riverside, adhering to the traditional practice.
This devastating loss has left the Okunade family and the Apete community in Ibadan heartbroken, raising urgent questions about child supervision, the hidden dangers of local water bodies, and community access to emergency rescue services.
