The government of Nasarawa has announced the deployment of health workers to the Gidinye community of Obi Local Government Area after the death of five children was recorded in 24 hours in the local government.
It was revealed that the children had earlier complained of stomach, which resulted in vomiting and purging between Monday and Tuesday. Gindinye houses thousands of able-bodied men and women, including children; it is one of the communities in the Jenkwe Development Area of the local government area.
The state epidemiologist, Dr Grace Tsakpa, who confirmed the incident on Wednesday, explained that the state government received the news and had deployed a team of health workers to the community to take samples of the victim’s family members and other community residents.
She explained that the samples had been examined, but the results were not ready yet; she hinted that the preliminary investigation revealed that the victims must have died from suspected food poisoning. The victims, according to her, started feeling ill immediately after they concluded their meals on the farm.
In providing more details, she noted that the five children who have fallen victim all belong to the two brothers who went to the farm, made food and ate while working there. She established that one of the children, after eating the food, started suffering abdominal pain, which resulted in his death, while the other two died after developing symptoms.
The state epidemiologist, on behalf of the state government, commiserated with the families of the deceased individuals who have died untimely. She explained that the team will work round the clock and leave no stone unturned to make sure that the cause of the death of the five children is uncovered.
The Publicity Secretary of the Migili Youth Association, Samuel Akala, who spoke about the incident, confirmed that the children had gone to the farm with their parents, close to the Keana Local Government Area, after which the illness started. He further noted that all the children had died within 24 hours, and their symptoms were vomiting and purging at the same time.
According to him, some of the children, after developing the earlier symptoms, also had difficulty breathing.
He called on all authorities and the state government to swiftly respond to the unfortunate incident, which will stop the ugly trend. He noted that if not responded to, other children in the area may fall victim, too. He claimed that the case has been on the increase since the death of the five.
The leader has called on the government to invite the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and the Primary Health Care Development Board for an analysis of the community, he explained that every individual in the community was interested in knowing the cause of the death of children.
The death the five children in Nasarawa state is the second of such reported in the country in one week, on Tuesday a family of three were reported to have died from suspected food poisoning in Kwara state with investigations reports yet to be released by the health officials in the state have suspected food poisoning because the victims had died after eating Amala.
