By Mike Adeyemi
No fewer than five people have been reported dead and seven others from the same family are in critical conditions at the General Hospital, Ilorin after eating what appeared a poisonous Amala meal, National Pilot reports.
The incident occurred Monday night at Ile-Oloogbin, Mogaji Ogo Compound, Yebumot area, Ilorin.
The patients two of which are children were said to have been rushed to the General Hospital, Ilorin around 4am on Tuesday and are being attended to according to a source at the facility who pleaded anonymity.
Speaking with this medium, on Tuesday, Muritala Adisa, who is the younger brother to the late head of the family, Mr. Hanafi Salaudeen, said that a 12-year-old boy, Khalid Hanafi who first ate the food was immediately given a local concoction after complaining of stomach pain. The teenager was said to have vomited the meal and is now in good condition.
Speaking further in an emotional laden voice, Adisa, who is a staff of Lower Niger River Basin, Ilorin, said that the younger sister of the head of the family, Aisat Adisa and unnamed 11-year- old girl were however not lucky to escape the alleged food poison.
He gave the names of victims on admission as; Sikiru Salaudeen, Kamarudeen Salaudeen, Khalid Salaudeen and Fasilat Salaudeen. Others are; Idowu Salaudeen, Alaba Salaudeen and two-year-old boy, Baridor Salaudeen.
Adisa however, said that the family is yet to ascertain what may have caused the unfortunate incident following the emotional trauma they suffered.
He added that officials of the Kwara State Ministry of Health visited the family residence on the day of the incident and took a sample of the yam flour alongside the water used in preparing the meal for a laboratory test.
“They promised to get back to us tomorrow on the outcome of the laboratory test but as I speak with you, we cannot say it was a case of food poisoning or contamination of food substance.
Meanwhile, a source at the hospital who asked not to be named informed our reporter on Tuesday, that the victims were brought in dehydrated and vomiting, signals that they may have taken toxic substance.
“The children among them have been referred to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital(UITH) for onward medical care, while two had died before getting here, he divulged.”
It was gathered that four victims are presently receiving treatment at the General Hospital while one other is on admission at Aisat Hospital, Alore area, Ilorin.
When contacted, the Chief Medical Director of General Hospital, Ilorin Prof. Abdulfatah Olokoba confirmed the incident.
“As the Chief Medical Director of General Hospital, Ilorin, the information available to me is that, we have a family of six who were brought here on account of eating Amala while others ate boiled yam. Thereafter, they developed abdominal pains. We have four adults and two children, so that is what we have,” he stated.
