Residents of Ayegunle-Ekiti in Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State were shocked yesterday when five children of a family died after eating a cassava meal popularly known as Lafun.

The father of the deceased children, Mr. Kayode Ogunlusi, who regained consciousness after medical attention, told reporters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, that his family of 16 ate the food with ewedu soup on Sunday night.

He said shortly after eating the food, the children’s stomachs started rumbling.

The family is made up of the father, two wives and 12 children.

The wives’ names are Peju and Abigail.

The senior wife, Peju, who is expecting her eighth child, lost five children.

The names of the dead children are Iyabo, Rotimi, Pelumi, Abigail and Ade.

Also affected is Ogunlusi’s nephew, who is in critical condition in the hospital.

A dog, which ate out of the food, also died.

Peju was said to have prepared the ewedu soup.

Iyabo, the first child of the family, prepared the Lafun.

A source, who pleaded for anonymity, said residents were shocked when the children started vomiting and complaining of stomach trouble.

He said three children were first rushed to the General Hospital in Ijero-Ekiti, but were transferred to the University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, where they died.

The remaining two children died yesterday morning.

Ogunlusi, who spoke at the accident and emergency ward of the hospital, said it was Peju who first complained of stomach cramps after which she vomited.

The children, he said, were rushed to the hospital one after the other.

Ogunlusi said: "The ewedu soup was prepared by Peju, who is my first wife. The lafun was prepared by Iyabo around 8pm.

"We all ate, but about 4am the following day, Peju started vomiting.

"After we took care of her at about 10am, Iyabo too complained of stomach ache. I took her to a private hospital, but she was not responding. Within a short period, she and her mother could not talk again. I, therefore, rushed them to the general hospital."

When contacted on her hospital bed, Peju was shocked to learn that Iyabo was dead.

She was yet to learn that four other children have also died as the news was kept away from her at press time.

Abigail, the junior wife, was also receiving treatment at the hospital.

Head of the emergency unit of the hospital, Dr Olusoji Abidemi, said the cause of the incident might be food poisoning.

He said: "The cassava might not be properly processed and when food, especially cassava, is not properly prepared, it could be poisonous."

Abidemi urged the people to always process food properly before eating.

He said Iyabo was brought dead to the hospital.

The remaining children, according to him, died yesterday morning.
http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/articles/47004/1/Family-loses-five-kids-after-cassava-meal-/Page1.html

Acidosis:

, I think this question is necessary
©, was that the first time they ate the cassava? If no, then the problem is 'ewedu soup'

Disreal Am:

i dnt think the problem is ewedu, they must have ate something that was poisned somewhere b4 the food.

oludashmi:

You are right but from the story, this isnt there first time of eating the meal and if the ewedu is the prob, why didnt it affect the entire family of 16?

oludashmi:

This is very pathetic. May God comfort the mother especially as she is yet to know she has lost five children. But how did it affect 5 out of the 16 who ate the food?

he family is made up of the father, two wives and 12 children.

The senior wife, Peju, who is expecting her eighth child, lost five children.

The names of the dead children are Iyabo, Rotimi, Pelumi, Abigail and Ade.

"The ewedu soup was prepared by Peju, who is my first wife. The lafun was prepared by Iyabo around 8pm.

"We all ate, but about 4am the following day, Peju started vomiting.

Abigail, the junior wife, was also receiving treatment at the hospital.

agitator:

Answer

agitator:

Abigail, the junior wife, was also receiving treatment at the hospital.

oludashmi:

From the story, I think the second wife is receiving treatment cos of the trauma just like their husband, not as if they were affected by the poison.

oludashmi:

This is very pathetic. May God comfort the mother especially as she is yet to know she has lost five children. But how did it affect 5 out of the 16 who ate the food?

oludashmi:

From the story, I think the second wife is receiving treatment cos of the trauma just like their husband, not as if they were affected by the poison.

oludashmi:

told reporters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, that his family of 16 ate the food with ewedu soup on Sunday night.

honeric01:

I read through and didn't see where they wrote that he's receiving treatment cos of the trauma, also ate from the food prepared that night, infact all of them ate the food according to the article.