Posted by Doyin Adebusuyi, Ilorin on
The Village Head of Alapa, in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State, Alhaji Shuaib Ajape Oniso, and two other persons; including his wife, Alhaja Belawu, on Monday lost their lives after consuming Amala, a meal prepared from cassava flakes.
The Village Head of Alapa, in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State, Alhaji Shuaib Ajape Oniso, and two other persons; including his wife, Alhaja Belawu, on Monday lost their lives after consuming Amala, a meal prepared from cassava flakes.
The other victim was the late monarch's traditional Chief, Alhaji Saidu Akanji, who was the Mogaji of the community.
The death, which has thrown the sleepy community into confusion, brought the number of casualty from food poisoning in the state since January to 13 and the third of its kind this year raising questions about the safety of some cassava products in the North- Central Zone of the country.
According to investigations, the deceased reportedly died a few hours after eating the meal, which was reportedly prepared by Belawu, the monarch's third wife.
It was gathered that Belawu was the first to raise alarm over an unusual stomach ache after the meal and while the family was making frantic efforts to rush her to a clinic in Ilorin, her husband equally began to make a similar complaint.
She reportedly died at Ipata Oloje Area of Ilorin, while her husband gave up the ghost some hours later at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.
Mogaji, who was reportedly admitted at another hospital not far from the community also died at about 8pm on Monday.
The Punch, Thursday June 23, 2005