Five Die After Eating Amala In Ondo

Two of the dead

The Ondo State Police Command, Ondo state, Nigeria has begun investigation into the mysterious death of a family of five in Bolorunduro village in the state. It was gathered that the family died on August 22, 2012, after a yam flour meal, popularly known as amala. The deceased are: Michael Onoja, 56; his wife, Comfort, 42; Monday, 24; Patience, 21; and the couple’s eight-year-old grandchild, Joy Odoh. The family is said to be from Benue State but had been living and working in Ondo state as farmers. The police added that the popular Yoruba meal, which was prepared by Patience, was the family’s last meal. They were said to have complained of stomachache and later died in the hospital which neighbours had rushed them to. “It was Joy, their grand daughter that first died after complaining of stomach ache after eating the amala. She was buried, but strangely the other members also complained of stomach ache and they later died in the hospital,” a source who requested anonymity said. However, before Onoja gave up the ghost, he told his neighbours that they ate the yam flour and he suspected that it might have been poisoned. When contacted, the state police spokesperson, Aremu Adeniran, said the corpses of the deceased had been deposited at the State Specialist Hospital Mortuary at Akure so that an autopsy can be conducted. He added that investigation had also commenced into the deaths. “The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for proper investigation,” he said.