A widow from Ohuepe in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State has narrated how she survived after eating a meal that allegedly led to the deaths of her husband and two of her children.

The three members of the family died on August 14, 2026, two days after eating amala prepared from cassava flour.

According to reports, those who consumed the meal later developed vomiting, severe weakness and other symptoms associated with suspected poisoning before their conditions worsened.

The widow, popularly known as Mama Rahama, said she believes she survived because she ate only a small portion of the amala. Her four-year-old son, Mikail, did not eat the food at all after refusing the meal.

The tragedy came amid reports of another incident in the neighbouring Ikoyi community, where four children reportedly died after eating amala. The two incidents have now resulted in seven reported deaths within less than two weeks.

Fear has spread across communities in the area, while several other affected persons remain under medical care.

Narrating what happened to her family, Mama Rahama said she purchased the cassava flour from a local market and personally used it to prepare amala for dinner.

After eating, the family went to bed. However, by the following day, those who consumed the food began experiencing serious weakness.

Mama Rahama said everyone ate the amala except her four-year-old last child, Mikail, who refused it. Those who ate the meal were her husband, Rahama, and the children identified as Rabiyat, Samad, Senani and Haliru, as well as herself.

According to her, her husband, Rabiyat and Samad consumed larger portions, while she ate only a little because she had recently been discharged from hospital and did not have much appetite.

By the following day, the condition of those who ate the food deteriorated as they experienced severe weakness, vomiting and stomach pains.

Mama Rahama said four members of the family were eventually rushed to Ado Ozuka Hospital in Ogaminana for treatment.

Unfortunately, Rabiyat died first, followed by Samad and then her husband, with all three deaths occurring within a few hours on the same day.

Mama Rahama survived and has since been discharged from the hospital. She appealed to the Kogi State Government and well-meaning individuals to provide assistance to the surviving members of her family.

Meanwhile, another tragedy was reported in Ikoyi, Ihima, where four children allegedly died after consuming a meal also prepared from cassava flour.

Residents said nine people belonging to two families ate the food last Thursday evening. Some of them reportedly ate the leftovers the following morning.

A resident, Al-Hassan Idris, said those who consumed the meal initially became weak before their conditions reportedly progressed to diarrhoea and vomiting of blood.

According to Idris, all those who ate the food had developed body weakness before noon. As their conditions became critical, they were rushed to hospital.

Despite efforts to save them, four children died—two from each of the affected families. Two of the children reportedly died on Friday, while the other two died on Saturday.

Idris also claimed that a dog which was fed some of the leftover food vomited and later died.

The development has left the community in mourning.

The chairman of Okehi Local Government Area, Monday Amoka, said efforts were being intensified to save five other victims who remained under treatment.

According to him, samples of the food suspected to be responsible for the incident had been collected and sent to a medical laboratory in Lokoja for examination to determine the actual cause of the deaths.

The Kogi State Government has also ordered a formal investigation.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo directed the Commissioner for Health to begin a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, said investigators would seek to establish whether the food consumed by the victims was contaminated or whether other medical or environmental factors were responsible.

He added that relevant samples and available evidence would be examined according to established public health procedures.

A medical consultant in Lokoja, Dr Ahmed Okolo, also called on the relevant authorities to urgently trace the source of the cassava flour used in preparing the suspected food and conduct laboratory tests to identify any potentially harmful substance.

According to Okolo, the speed at which the victims’ conditions deteriorated means poisoning should be investigated alongside other possible causes.

He explained that the raw material could have become contaminated at its original source, through the seller or through middlemen who may have introduced substances intended to preserve the product or improve its quality or quantity.

Okolo warned that various substances are sometimes added to raw or processed food products for preservation, and some of these substances could alter the food and make it dangerous for human consumption.

He also recommended post-mortem examinations on the deceased to help establish the precise cause of death.

According to him, pathologists could examine the bodies to determine what caused vital organs to fail. Such examinations could also help identify any poison involved, understand its effect on the organs and establish the actual cause of death.

Meanwhile, some residents claimed that similar incidents had occurred in communities including Obeiba, Ikuehi and Ohuepe during the past two months.

There are also suggestions within the communities that the deaths might not necessarily have resulted from food contamination. Some residents believe investigators should also examine whether a poisonous variety of cassava, locally referred to as “bitter cassava,” may have been involved.

Residents said the cassava could pose a danger when it is not properly processed before being consumed.

They are therefore calling on the authorities to widen the investigation to include the varieties and sources of cassava being consumed in the affected communities, particularly supplies coming from neighbouring towns and farms.

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