Concerns As 11 Family Members Die In Benue State After Eating

The death of eleven family members in a community in Benue State has raised concerns among residents as reports revealed they died after eating food.

Naija News learnt that the tragic incident happened in Ikobi, a community in the Apa Local Government Area of the state.

The exact cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained. There are, however, suspicions that the family members died of food poisoning. Other speculations are that they consumed food contaminated with harmful chemicals.

The 11 victims were revealed as: “Adi Ale, Ochefije Ojo, Maria Ojo, Aipu Ochefije, Aboyi Ngbede Ochefije, Mary Ochoyoda, Ehi Abu, Blessing Abu, Peace Ochoyoda, Ojochono Daniel and Favour Edoh.”

Daily Trust reports that while six of the victims died in one day, the remaining five died a few days after.

One of the bereaved family members, Ochoyoda Abu, lost his wife (Mary), two sisters (Ehi and Blessing) and a daughter (Peace).

Confirming the sad development, the traditional ruler of the Ikobi community, Professor Mohammed Adah, told newsmen in a telephone interview that a similar incident had happened in September in the community.

He said suspicion about food poisoning heightened when five of the victims died the same day in the community, adding that experts were invited from the state’s Ministry of Health to investigate the cause of deaths.

Adah said the results of the investigations were yet to be made available to the community. It was reported that some also took ill after eating the food and were taken to hospitals. They were said to they have since recovered and returned home.

Confirming the latest event, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Catherine Anene, told reporters that the victims died last Monday, November 14, adding that seven were confirmed dead in one day alone.

Anene said, “About three months ago, somebody died in that particular house so on the 14th of this month, a woman went to the house, cleaned the house and removed the foodstuffs from there which she prepared and 12 people ate and suffered stomach ache.

“Seven people died that same day and five were taken to the hospital and they survived. Investigation ongoing.”

Meanwhile, a former state Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Comrade Ojotu Ojema, reportedly visited the bereaved families at Oleg’oke in Ikobi on Sunday.

Ojema in his condolence message to Ayigoche and Ayigoga families, urged them to take solace in God.

On his part, acting beaded Chief of Ikobi, Chief Musa Audi, through the Secretary Ikobi Traditional Council, Abogonye Ochola John, thanked Ojema for coming as he narrated the calamity that befell the community.

John claimed that the incident remained a mystery, noting, however, that there would have been total turmoil except for God’s intervention as the situation degenerated into suspicion, hatred and blame among families in the community.