The death toll from a mysterious illness that claimed the lives of five children on Tuesday in Gidinye community, Obi LGA of Nasarawa State, has risen to six.
The deaths have sent shockwaves through the community, raising concerns about food safety and public health.
The children who died were identified as Saraya Kpana Ezekiel, Godiya Kawoh Ezekiel, 6, and Lydia Isah Ezekiel, 22, from the Ezekiel family, all belonging to the same maternal grandmother.
The other victims were Unity Patrick Baba, 7, Ramatu Baba, 5, and Rejoice Friday, 6, from the Baba family.
The Publicity Secretary of the Mighili Youth Association,Mr Samuel Akala, said that the children had gone to their farm near Keana LGA with their parents when they suddenly fell ill.
He said the symptoms included stomach ache, vomiting, purging, and difficulty breathing, noting that despite being rushed home, the children succumbed to the illness within a short period.
Akala urged the Nasarawa State Government and relevant authorities to investigate the situation urgently to prevent further deaths.
Archbishop Professor Emmanuel Musa Jatau, a prominent figure from Gidinye community, confirmed the death of the sixth child and appealed to the state government to deploy resources to determine the cause of the deaths.
WUZUPNIGERIA recall that the Nasarawa State Government had deployed health workers following the death of five children within 24 hours in the Gidinye community.
The state’s epidemiologist, Dr Grace Tsakpa, confirmed that healthcare workers had been sent to the community to collect samples from surviving family members.
While the cause of death has not been officially determined, Dr Tsakpa suggested that food poisoning might be the culprit, as the symptoms appeared immediately after the victims ate a meal in the farm.
She said, “For now, we have taken samples from the other family members, but our suspicion is going towards food poisoning. This is because the incident happened after they ate food at the farm.
“The five children belong to two brothers. The family (parents and children) went to the farm, cooked there, and ate. It was on the farm that one of the children started complaining of abdominal pains, and he later died. The other four children also died after developing symptoms.”
