By IGBOMUAYE LUCKY, Benin

A family of seven has allegedly died of food poisoning after eating a meal in Benin, the Edo State capital. The ugly incident happened at No 40, Otete Street, off Textile Mill Road, Ogida quarters, in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. When Saturday Sun visited the victims’ house, the place was deserted while few sympathisers were seen outside the compound. Speaking on the incident, one of the residents of the area, who lives opposite the deceased’s house, Mrs. Christy Igbinadolor, said she was in her house yesterday morning when a man came to ask her about the whereabouts of her neighbours. She said, she told the man to go to the house and knock at their door and if there is no response, he should go to the police station and report.

“This morning, when I woke up, I sat outside and I saw one man who came to ask me about these people (the victims) and I told him that I was just waking up from sleep. He claimed he was sent by their elder brother in Port Harcourt to check on them. So, from there, the man went to the compound and knocked at their door. I told him, if there was no response, he should go to the police station and report.

“So, the man went to the police station and returned with some policemen and some members of the man’s church. They broke the door and found out that some of them have died, and they carried them to the hospital. I asked them to call their father and when he came, he went inside the house and found out that his children were lying on the floor. They dragged about five of them out. Some of them have babies because one of the man’s daughters came with her children. The man’s children were grown up and they were the ones staying in the house while two of the man’s children were staying with his late wife but they decided to come and mourn their mother here in Benin when this incident happened”, she said.

Another sympathizer, Mrs. Rachael Anyanwu, said the man who lost his children to food poisoning, lost his wife five days ago and that those who have been rushed to the hospital were his children and his relatives who came to sympathise with him over the loss of his wife. (Saturday Sun)

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