By Omowumi Omotosho
A heartbreaking incident occurred in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, where four members of a family— a mother and her three young children—tragically lost their lives after consuming a rice meal. The tragic incident occurred in the Oshin area near Asa Dam Road on Saturday.
The victims have since been buried in accordance with Islamic rites, with the incident being suspected as a case of food poisoning.
The deceased children, identified as Abibat, Zainab, and Abdulfatai, were said to be approximately 9, 7, and 5 years old, respectively. According to a source close to the family, the family had prepared rice for breakfast on Saturday before the parents left the house for the day.
“In the evening, when they returned, the mother was making preparations for dinner and instructed that the eldest daughter who was sleeping should be woken up when they noticed she was cold and gnashing her teeth
“She was rushed to Oreofe Hospital, where they were referred to Ilọrin General Hospital and the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), where she was pronounced dead.
“However, they met the two other children exhibiting the same symptoms when they brought their sister’s corpse and rushed them to UITH.
“On Sunday, their mother also started vomiting and was rushed to UITH where the three of them died in the wee hours of Monday. Their father has now been admitted also for tests, having eaten from the rice meal, ” the source revealed.
On Monday night, during a visitation to the residence of the family’s patriarch, Alhaji Jagunmolu Adinni, sympathizers were visiting to offer their condolences.
Alhaji Jagunmolu Adinni, while speaking on the tragic event, said, “The father is still in the hospital left with only a son, Muhammad Basheer.” Despite the immense grief, he expressed his acceptance of the situation as a trial from Almighty Allah.
