Father, 4 Children Die, 2 Others In Critical State After Poisoned Corn Meal In Enugu

Mbu Apochi community in Isiuzo local government area of Enugu State, was thrown into a state of panic as a man identified as Mr. Charles Nnadi and his four children, have been confirmed dead after taking a corn and cassava meal believed to have been poisoned.

Sources said that Nnadi and six children became sick and unconscious after eating the mixture of cassava and corn flour and were rushed to St. Mark’s Hospital, Eha-Amufu by sympathizers but the family head and two of his children died few minutes later.

Following their death, four other members of the family, who were also admitted, were immediately transferred to a trado-medical  hospital at Enugu-Ezike, Igbo Eze North local government where two of the children later died as well.

The remaining two are now in critical condition at the hospital as their condition is said to be precarious.

Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, who confirmed the death of the five persons in Enugu, yesterday, said that detectives from the state command had already swung into action with a view to unraveling the mystery and circumstances surrounding the alleged incident of food poisoning that led to the tragic deaths.

Meanwhile, some sympathizers and relations of the deceased persons have described the incident as tragic and shocking, and called on law-enforcement agencies to ensure proper investigation of the matter in a bid to determine if the food poisoning was carried out by someone.

The investigation they said, became necessary in order to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to book, lamenting that such mysterious deaths had become a common occurrence within Nsukka area in recent times.