A widow in Ohuepe, Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State, has recounted how she survived a meal that allegedly killed her husband and two of her children.
The three family members died on August 14, 2026, two days after consuming the food made of cassava flour.
The victims were said to have experienced vomiting, weakness and other signs of suspected poisoning before their conditions deteriorated.
The woman, popularly known as Mama Rahama, said she narrowly escaped death because she ate only a small quantity of the amala prepared from cassava flour. At the same time, her four-year-old son, Mikail, refused to eat the meal altogether.
Her account came as four more children reportedly died after eating amala in neighbouring Ikoyi community, bringing to seven the number of people reported dead in the two incidents in less than two weeks.
The incidents have thrown communities in the area into fear, with several other victims currently receiving treatment in hospitals.
Recounting her ordeal, Mama Rahama said she bought the cassava flour from a local market and personally prepared the amala for her family as dinner.
She said the family ate the meal and went to bed, but by the following day, those who had eaten it began experiencing severe weakness.
“Except my four-year-old last born, Mikail, who refused to eat the food, my husband, Rahama, Rabiyat, Samad, Senani and Haliru ate the amala for dinner,” she said.
According to her, her husband and two children, Rabiyat and Samad, ate more of the food, while she only took a small quantity because she had recently been discharged from hospital.
“I could only take a little because I had poor appetite and had just been discharged from hospital,” she said.
She said the situation became worse the next day when those who ate the meal developed severe weakness, vomiting and stomach pains.
“As the situation became worse, four of us were rushed to Ado Ozuka Hospital in Ogaminana.
“But Rabiyat died, followed by Samad and later my husband, all within a few hours on the same day,” she said.
Mama Rahama, who has since been discharged from the hospital, appealed to the Kogi State Government and individuals to support the surviving members of her family.
Another incident followed the tragedy in Ikoyi, Ihima, where four children reportedly died after eating a meal prepared from cassava flour.
Residents said nine people from two families ate the meal last Thursday evening, with some of them eating the leftovers the following morning.
A resident, Al-Hassan Idris, said those who ate the food began experiencing weakness before developing stooling and vomiting of blood.
“Before noon, all of them who ate the food were gripped with body weakness, which later turned into stooling and vomiting of blood at the critical stage.
“They were rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately, four children died – two from each of the two families,” he said.
Two children died on Friday and the remaining two on Saturday.
Idris added that a dog that was given some of the leftover food also vomited and died.
The incident, he said, had thrown the community into mourning.
The chairman of Okehi Local Government Area, Monday Amoka, said efforts were being intensified to save the five other victims who were still receiving treatment.
He said samples of the suspected food had been collected and sent to a medical laboratory in Lokoja for analysis to establish the actual cause of the deaths.
The Kogi State Government has also ordered an investigation into the incident.
In a statement, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo directed the Commissioner for Health to commence a comprehensive investigation.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, said the investigation would determine whether the food consumed by the victims was contaminated or whether other medical or environmental factors contributed to the deaths.
He said relevant samples and evidence would be examined in line with established public health procedures.
Trace flour source, conduct autopsy on Kogi victims – Doctor
A medical consultant in Lokoja, Dr Ahmed Okolo, has urged relevant authorities to urgently trace the source of the flour used to prepare the suspected poisonous food and subject it to laboratory analysis to determine the substance involved.
He said the rapid deterioration of the victims suggested that poisoning should be considered alongside other possible causes.
“The raw material could have been contaminated at the source, by the seller or middlemen in an attempt to preserve it or increase its quality or quantity.
“People now add different substances to preserve raw or processed food materials. In some cases, these preservatives alter their contents and become harmful to the body,” he said.
Okolo also called for post-mortem examinations on the victims to establish the cause of death.
He said pathologists should examine the bodies to determine what caused the failure of vital organs.
“Post-mortem examinations can help identify the poison, determine how it affected the organs and establish the actual cause of death,” he said.
Some residents, however, said similar incidents had been recorded in communities including Obeiba, Ikuehi and Ohuepe in the past two months.
There are also suggestions that the deaths may not necessarily be caused by food poisoning, but could be linked to the consumption of a poisonous cassava variety popularly called “bitter cassava”.
Residents said such cassava could be dangerous if not properly processed before consumption.
They called for authorities to investigate the cassava being consumed in the affected communities, particularly those sourced from nearby towns or farms.
(Daily Trust)
