No fewer than six people, including a mother, her three sons and two of their neighbours, on Tuesday, died in Ogaminana area of Okene, Kogi State, after eating amala meal made from cassava flour.
Three of the deceased were said to have died on Monday, while the remaining three died on quick succession at the Okene General Hospital.
The Public Relations Officer of the Adavi Local Government, Mr Abdulhamid Salahudeen, who informed news men about the incident, said the first set of the victims died in their house.
He put the ages of the dead five children at between 9 and 15 years, while the age of the female adult victim, the mother could not be ascertained.
Salaudeen said that the mother had, on Sunday, brought the cassava flour (white amala, popularly called lafun) from her farmland at Ohuepe village, which is about 30-minute drive from Ogaminana.
He said that the woman prepared dinner from the yam flour for herself and other members of the family, while she also gave her neighbours part of the food.
It was gathered that the woman and two of her sons were the first to die as they developed severe stomach pain over the night which later resulted in their death.
Salaudeen, however, added that neighbours who sensed that the sudden deaths may be due to the cassava flour dinner quickly rushed the remaining three children that ate the food to Okene General Hospital, where they died between Sunday and Tuesday afternoon.
According to him, the management of the said the local government believed that the cassava flour was poisoned.
He also said the incident had been reported to the police for proper investigation.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), William Anya, could not confirm the incident as he said the command was yet to be briefed.
Source:Tribune
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