The deaths of three children found inside the boot of a parked vehicle at Koblimahagu Zoo in the Tamale Metropolis have been reclassified as murder following an autopsy.

The children, identified as Dauda Abdul Aziz, 3, Saani Alsharaf, 5, and Dauda Fadilan, 7, had reportedly been missing since Saturday.

Their bodies were discovered on Monday morning inside a black Hyundai Tucson belonging to an immigration officer in the Koblimahagu Zuo community.

The discovery plunged the community into mourning and shock as residents joined efforts to establish what happened to the children.

The autopsy found that the children did not die of natural causes, prompting the Police to treat the case as murder.

Investigators on Tuesday evening met with family and community members to gather information as they work to establish the circumstances surrounding the children's disappearance and deaths.

The meeting was attended by the Northern Regional Police Commander and the Regional Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service.

According to JoyNews sources, investigators took statements from some community members as part of efforts to piece together the events leading to the deaths.

The biological parents of the deceased have also been invited to the Regional Police Command for further questioning.

The owner of the vehicle has been taken into police custody to assist with investigations.

The Assembly Member for the area, Seidu Fuseini, said the vehicle owner told the Police that he had locked all the doors before leaving the vehicle.

The children's bodies have since been conveyed to the morgue of the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

The Inspector-General of Police has deployed homicide investigators, forensic and crime scene experts, and intelligence officers to support the Northern Regional Police Command.

Investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the children's disappearance and deaths and identify those responsible.