It was a tragic scene on Friday night when four members of the same family died and nine others were rushed to the hospital after they were said to have consumed yam flour meal, known as Amala, in Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The incident threw residents into shock and confusion as they made frantic efforts to handle the situation before it went out of hand following the death of the four persons and has sparked concerns over possible food poisoning in the area.
A credible source who spoke on the matter told Impact Nigeria News Online on Saturday evening, said the circumstances surrounding the deaths remained unclear, adding that it was yet to be established whether the food was deliberately poisoned or contaminated.
The source disclosed that nine other persons who ate the same meal were taken to a hospital for treatment, adding that their condition could not be ascertained as of the time of this report.
Following the information on the tragic incident, the state government, while reacting to the development on Saturday, ordered an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Commissioner for Information and Communications in the state, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement, said the governor had directed the Commissioner for Health to carry out an investigation into the matter.
Fanwo said the governor was concerned over the incident and wanted the investigation to establish whether food poisoning, contamination or any other medical or environmental factor was responsible.
He said relevant samples and other available evidence would be examined in line with established public health procedures.
Of particular concern to the government, according to Fanwo, was a report received by the state government that the family’s dog also died after consuming the same food.
He said the development would form part of the investigation as the government seeks to establish the actual cause of the deaths.
