7th August 2024
The Kwara State Government has confirmed the death of a 70-year-old grandmother, her son and two other family members in the Eruda community, Ilorin in Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state after eating an Amala meal said to have been poisoned.
The deaths have necessitated the government to place the Healthcare on Outbreak Response Mode.
The state Commissioner of Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, said the victims’ death was from the consumption of Amala believed to contain poison.
Speaking at a press conference addressed in Ilorin, the state capital, on Tuesday,
El-Imam, also disclosed that one death was recorded from gastroenteritis.
According to her, the entire health team of the ministry visited the community after the report of a family who lost a number of their relatives, after consumption of Lafun-Amala made from cassava flour.
“ it was an instance of food poisoning where the 70 years old woman fell ill and died after consuming amala, her son and grandchildren who also consumed the same food, fell ill and were taken to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital where they later died.
El-Imam, attributed the deaths to Amala made from Lafun, explaining that the people who consumed the yam flour without Lafun were fine.
According to her, “Those who consumed the mixture of both Lafun and Amala mixture fell ill and eventually, some of them died.”
The commissioner disclosed that several others were making a good recovery in the hospitals where they were receiving treatment and hopefully, following intensive medical treatment, they should be able to recover fully.
It was acknowledged that the residence was in a location where the food was prepared and consumed was unhygienic
El-Imam lamented that it was a case of chemical food poisoning, potentially due to under-processed cassava used in the production of the Lafun.
“We have another four cases recovering at the moment, in addition, to the four that we unfortunately lost.”
Similarly, the commissioner disclosed that an Initial Rapid Diagnostic Test was conducted on the suspected case of cholera, which turned out to be gastroenteritis.
She explained that one death was recorded at Osin Gada, in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara as a result of gastroenteritis.
