Woman, 3 children, neighbours perish after cassava flour meal in Kogi

A woman, three of her children and two of their neighbours, have died after eating a cassava flour meal in Ogaminana, headquarters of Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Three of the victims died one after the other at the Okene General Hospital, while the remaining three died Monday night in their house.
The ages of the dead five children were between nine and 15.
Confirming the sad incident, Public Relations Officer of the council area, Mr. Abdulhamid Salahudeen, said the late mother had in the evening of Sunday, October 30, brought the cassava flour (white amala) from her farmland at Ohuepe village, about 30-minute drive from Ogaminana.
According to him, the woman prepared dinner from the flour for herself and other members of the family and also gave to her neighbour.
Salahudeen said the victims later went to bed, but developed severe stomach pains at night, which later resulted in the death of the woman and two of her children.
He said: “The neighbours, who sensed that the sudden deaths may be due to the cassava flour dinner, quickly rushed the remaining three children to Okene General Hospital, where they died between the early hours and afternoon of yesterday.
“The authority of the local government believed that the cassava flour was poisoned and had informed the police for proper action.”
A senior nursing officer at the hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the death of the three victims at the hospital yesterday, adding that they were brought in late Monday afternoon.