A tragic incident occurred in Runjn Barmo village, Kajiji District of Shagari Local Government Area in Sokoto State, where a family of seven died after consuming what is suspected to be contaminated cassava meal.
The village head, Muhammadu Modi Magajin Runjn Barmo, received the state’s Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Asabe Balarabe, and other officials on a condolence visit. He explained that the incident happened on Wednesday, August 7, when the victims prepared the cassava for their dinner.
“The victims, comprising the father, Malam Abubakar, his wife, A’ishatu Abubakar, and their five children, died after they ate the food,” Barmo said. He added that although the deaths followed the meal, it has not yet been confirmed if the cassava was the direct cause, as the same cassava had been used by about five other households in the village without any reported fatalities.
The state Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Asabe Balarabe, stated that the visit was to assess the cause of the incident for further communication to the governor for appropriate action. She mentioned that she received the report of the incident on Saturday, August 10, which prompted her to lead a delegation, including all Directors and the Surveillance Disease Control Unit of the ministry, to evaluate the situation.
The Commissioner also revealed that the ministry would take samples from one surviving teenager who had consumed the suspected contaminated cassava to determine if the meal was indeed the cause of the deaths.
