One person has reportedly died and four hospitalized after consuming a cassava flour meal in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
The family of six were said to have eaten cassava flakes as Amala for dinner and the granddaughter died as a result of abdominal complications.
According to source, the incident happened at residents of Temidire Atoyebi area of Ogbomoso in the Ogbomoso South/Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area of Oyo State.
It was gathered that a distress call from the house located along Ogbomoso-Iwo Road that evening drew the attention of the neighbours, who quickly rushed the mother (Mrs Victoria Paul Adewole) and the five children to the Ogo Oluwa Hospital, opposite Ogbomoso High School.
At the hospital, the granddaughter was rejected having been confirmed to have been brought in dead (BID).
“The mother and four other children were admitted and have since been under intensive medical treatment, “the source said.
She said the initial report was that the family ate Amala dinner prepared from yam or cassava flour.
“However, one of the children managed to disclose that it was cassava peels that they ground and made into flour which they prepared as Amala since they could not afford to buy yam or cassava flour.
“The complication from the peels which could have been poisoned or contaminated, resulted in the death of the youngest granddaughter, whose immune system might be very low.
“The mother and her other four children are still battling with life in the hospital. We plead with kind-hearted people to please assist the family in whatever way they can so that fatality is no longer recorded among them”, the source pleaded.
The chief medical director of the hospital, Prof. Olawale Olakulehin who confirmed the incident said “The one that gave up died before getting to LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.
“As of this afternoon, four of the five undergoing treatment are in stable condition. However, one of them is in critical condition. I have just been updated”, the CMD said.
