An Islamic human rights advocacy organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has raised the alarm over the report of eight (8) children who allegedly died inside a car in Badagry area of Lagos State. MURIC suspects foul play and has therefore called on the police to carry out thorough investigation.
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
“Reports say eight children died inside a parked Honda Pilot Jeep marked AAA 157 BD on Sunday, 5th December, 2021. The car was inside a fenced house in Adelayo Street, Jah-Michael area of Olorunda, Badagry.
“We have every reason to be suspicious for three major reasons. One, the ages of the children have been put between 4 and 9. We can understand if all of them were under four or under five years but we expect them to be able to open a car door with a nine year old among them.
“Two, why would so many children enter inside a single car? Why not two or three? The back seat must have been overloaded if they packed themselves there. We need to find out if any of them was found on the front seat. We suspect foul play particularly if the bodies were found both on the front and back seats. We must also find out if they entered through both doors at the back, left and right. We must then wonder if someone did not hold them hostage and later forced them to enter the car.
“Three, the report that the children were foaming in the mouth is another angle. Did someone first poison them and later dumped them inside the car? It is a possibility.
“We are disturbed by the fact that all the children were Muslims returning from an Arabic school: Zainab, Tayib, Farida, Mahmoud, Yakub, Wahab, Aisha and the grand daughter of one Saliat Kazeem who is the owner of the house. So many promising children losing their lives in such suspicious circumstances has thrown us into deep grief. Our hearts bleed. We pray that Allah grants the parents the fortitude to bear the loss.
“MURIC charges the police to carry out full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the children. It is too good to be true.”
