Tragedy struck on Saturday in Orisha Community, Magodo, Isheri area of Lagos State, after a mudslide hit a three bed-roomed flat, killing all the four children in the house.
OHITZ learnt that the incident happened around 4.50am on Ottun Araromi Street, while the victims were sleeping in their rooms. They were identified as Sylva, 23; Sayo, 15; Clinton, 13; and Endurance, 8. Our correspondent learnt that there had been a downpour over the night till the early hours of Saturday.
Their father, Godwin Odia, who is attached to the Mobile Police Force, the combat arm of the Nigeria Police, was said to have woken up around 3am to take his bath and had stepped into the parlour when the mudslide hit the children’s room. They were said to have been buried alive by the mud before rescue officials from the state and the Federal Governments arrived at the scene to recover their bodies.
Fifty-year-old Odia said his children would not have died if the mudslide happened during the week when they would have gone to school. He said, “By 3am, I wake up every day to prepare for work. That is the time I also wake them up. But since today is Saturday, I did not bother to do that. I still saw them sleeping as I prepared myself for work. “I was in the parlour when I heard a loud noise. My four children just died like that.
God, what is my offence? What did I do wrong? Four children in one day?! I am supposed to die in their place. I must have sinned. I don’t even know what I am still doing alive.”
OHITZ gathered that Godwin, who hailed from Ewatu in the Esan South Local Government Area of Edo State, married three women. But his first wife, who was Sayo’s mother, had separated from him. His second wife was said to have given birth to the remaining three children. His third wife, Felicia, who reportedly did not have a child, said she had lost all reason to stay alive because the children took her as their mother.
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