By George Onah & Olasunkanmi Akoni

LAGOS-THREE children of same parents, yesterday, drowned in a church well in one of the popular new generation churches (names withheld) in Ikwerrengwo community, Etche local Government of Rivers State, just as three school pupils have been confirmed dead in an auto accident involving their school bus on Lekki-Epe expressway, in Lagos.

Vanguard gathered that the three male children who were drowned were the only children of their parents, and were playing with children of the church’s pastor within the premises when their mother left for the market.

But shortly afterwards, an alarm was raised when all the three children were mysteriously found to have fallen into the well, even as none of the pastor’s children was affected, following which, the mother of the children was alerted in the market

Although the police have arrested the pastor and some other suspects in connection with the matter, the father of the children Mr. Francis Onwuka said he suspected foul play over the death of Emmanuel 7years, Bob-Martins 5years and Patrick 3 years.

Confirming the incident Police PRO Ben Ugwuegbulam (an ASP) said the matter was being handled by the CID and that all those involved were being investigated. The corpses of the children have since been deposited in a morgue in Abia State awaiting burial at the completion of police investigations.

In Lagos as parents and sympathisers besieged Cornerstone Nursery & Primary School in Ajah area of the state, the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Transportation has confirmed the death of three children of the school who lost their lives in an auto accident that occurred along Lekki Expressway on Wednesday even as it said the accident was due to recklessness on the part of the school bus driver.

The driver was said to have immediately absconded and he was yet to be found as at press time. Though, one was said to have survived the accident, eyewitnesses account put the death toll to about 12 without any evidence to show for the claim.