The Imo State Police Command said it was yet to receive any report on the reported case of five family members who died after consuming sliced oil bean (ugba), in Umuebi Amazu, Aboh Mbaise local government area of the state.
The police, however, appealed to the relatives or neighbours of the deceased family to immediately report the case at the Aboh Mbaise Police Division for investigation to commence in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Police spokesperson for Imo Command, DSP Henry Okoye made the disclosure while answering questions from LEADERSHIP via the phone call in Owerri.
The state-owned newspaper, ‘The Statesman’ had on Tuesday reported the news of the deaths in Owerri.
According to Okoye, the Aboh Mbaise police station was yet to receive any report of the death of the five family members involving a mother and four children.
The PPRO said, “The police is yet to receive any report of this incident. We appeal to the relatives and the neighbours to kindly report the case formally at the Aboh Mbaise Police Division to enable us investigate and ascertain the remote causes of the deaths.
“We call on the people in that community to report the incident to the police so we can unravel the cause of the deaths”, Okoye said.
A village source who pleaded anonymity, said the woman and her four children ate ugba in their Umuebi Amazu village in Aboh Mbaise local government area on January 2nd 2025 which resulted in repeated loose stools and subsequent loss of electrolytes and strength.
He said three persons were discovered dead on the spot while the other two who were rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital Owerri died at the hospital.
