A retired administrative officer of the Federal Government Girls College, Akure, Mrs. Esther Adeola, along with her four grandchildren, tragically died from suspected food poisoning.
The 68-year-old retiree and her grandchildren, aged nine, eight, and six, passed away after allegedly receiving inadequate medical attention at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital in Akure.
According to reports, the family consumed poisoned pap (a local cornmeal dish), leading to severe stomach pain and vomiting.
Mr. Ademola Adeola, the father of the children, recounted the series of events and expressed frustration over what he described as negligence by the hospital staff.
Adeola explained, “The pap the children ate was poisoned, and I had rushed them down to UNIMED in Akure. The doctor on duty questioned whether I was sure they were poisoned and advised me to take them home and give them red oil.”
Following the doctor’s advice, the family returned home, but the children’s condition worsened later that evening. They were then taken to another hospital, but were eventually referred back to UNIMEDTH due to the severity of their condition.
Adeola detailed how the children were treated at UNIMEDTH, noting that one of the doctors who attended to them appeared distracted and uncommitted.
“Unlike the first doctor, who stayed with the children and monitored them closely, the second doctor kept checking his phone during treatment,” he said.
After the children were administered injections, their conditions deteriorated rapidly. One of the children reportedly said he felt “something entering his body” shortly before he and his siblings began to react abnormally.
Heartbroken, Adeola called on the state government to investigate the circumstances surrounding their deaths, adding, “We are appealing to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to investigate this case. The hospital’s management treated us like nobodies, and we need answers.”
In response, the state’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Banji Ajaka, denied claims of negligence, insisting that the medical team did everything possible to save the lives of the children.
“There were four consultants and other doctors trying to save the lives of the children, but unfortunately, they died,” he said.
He emphasized that the hospital had the necessary facilities to handle such cases and rejected allegations of fault on the part of the doctors.
The management of UNIMEDTH also issued a statement, defending the hospital’s response.
According to the hospital’s spokesperson, Roseline Akeredolu, the children were treated promptly after being referred from Mother & Child Hospital in Akure.
She confirmed that the children had ingested pap containing an unknown poison, the same meal that had earlier claimed the life of their grandmother.
“Upon their arrival, they were immediately received and attended to by our medical team, which included consultants. Urgent resuscitation and critical care measures were initiated,” Akeredolu said, adding that despite the hospital’s best efforts, the children could not be saved.
