Printer’s error reignites anguish of Anambra six family members killed by food poisoning

Final 12 months October, a household of six in Amakwa, a group within the Ozubulu city of Ekwusigo Native Authorities Space of Anambra State, died of meals poisoning. IKENNA OBIANERI, who visited the group forward of the burial slated for November 29, 2022, experiences that one 12 months after, the group has not bought over the tragedy

Demise is an inevitable finish however the one which wiped away a household of six in Amakwa, a  group in Ozubulu city, Ekwusigo Native Authorities Space of Anambra State,  shouldn’t be the kind one ought to want for even one’s enemy.

When the information of the loss of life of Mr Augustine Nwokedi, his spouse, Josephine, and their 4 kids surfaced within the media area final week, it was greeted with shock and unhappiness.

Unknown to many, nonetheless, the incident occurred October 8, 2021 moderately than October 8, 2022, as erroneously portrayed by the obituary poster of the household of six, which circulated extensively on the social media.

The poster, which has the pictures of the six deceased, was headlined: “Painful Exit of One Household.”

It learn: “All the household of the late Chief Joseph A. Nwokedi (Ezennadike) of (Umuifeduba) in Umuomukwe Amakwa Ozubulu Ekwusugo LGA of Anambra State, remorse to announce the passing away of our beloved brother, spouse, sons and daughter, whose loss of life occurred on October 8, 2022, after taking their dinner.”

This ‘unconscious’ error in date, subsequently, introduced painful freshness to the tragedy.

Amakwa group is a distant village in Ozubulu, situated a number of miles away from the headquarters of its native authorities space, Ekwusigo.

Our correspondent, who went looking for the group final week, found that the loss of life of the Nwokedis has sadly change into an identification mark for the group.

“Oh! That group the place an entire household was wiped off,” is the response a first-timer visiting will get from transporters and residents of neighbouring communities on the point out of “Amakwa”.

However that the tragic deaths occurred over a 12 months in the past, the recollections are nonetheless contemporary with the folks of the realm.

Our correspondent was informed that the relations died on the morning of  October 8, 2021, after having a dinner of corn meal the night time earlier than.

An post-mortem ordered by the police, in keeping with head of the household, confirmed meals poisoning as the reason for loss of life.

Nonetheless, the group continues to be puzzled as to the supply of the corn meal. The persons are additionally asking: Who might have poisoned the easygoing household?

The deceased man was a industrial bike operator and was earlier than his loss of life, aged 41. His spouse, 39, was a seamstress. Their 4 kids — three boys and a lady — have been between the ages of three and 12.

They have been described a peace-loving household.

An elder within the village stated a curse had been laid on whoever poisoned the household, as a result of such was an abomination in the neighborhood.

When our correspondent visited the group and the house of the  deceased, he met the pinnacle of the Nwokedi household, who recognized himself as  Ikebude Nwokedi.

The household head narrated to Saturday PUNCH, the small print of the circumstances surrounding the loss of life of the household of six.

Based on Ikebude, the deceased had corn meal as their dinner and went to mattress on the stated night time, however sadly, they got here out within the morning and began vomiting and so they have been all rushed to the hospital.

The elder defined that whereas within the hospital, three of the kids died first, then adopted by the remaining youngster after which the daddy and the mom adopted thereafter.

Ikebude debunked the sooner report that the victims died at residence and that their our bodies have been found after group members broke down the door of their home.

The household head stated the case was reported to the police and it was subsequently transferred to the Murder Part on the State Felony Investigations Division in Awka, for investigation.

He stated the SCID carried out an post-mortem and reported that the household died of meals poisoning from the corn meal that they had the earlier night time.

“The supply of the corn meal and the rationale for the ‘meals poisoning’ nonetheless stays a thriller to each the relations and the group,” Ikebude stated.

 The household head stated efforts have been made by relations to get data from the victims earlier than they gave up the ghost “however they have been too unconscious to even muster a phrase and sadly, they handed on few days after.”

He lamented that the relations spent over N3m each on the therapy of the deceased and the post-mortem carried out on their our bodies.

He additionally blamed the hospital for not performing promptly when the deceased have been initially delivered to their facility.

Ikebule, who spoke in Igbo language, stated, “I’m the  senior brother of the deceased and the pinnacle of the household. My brother misplaced his life and that of his spouse and all kids mysteriously on October 8, 2021 and never 2022.

“It was the printer who designed the burial poster of the deceased that made an error by placing 2022 on the poster as an alternative of 2021, thereby making it look as if it was a contemporary incident.

“Though, the kids have lengthy been buried, we’re making preparations for the burial of my late brother and his spouse.

“On the night time earlier than their loss of life, they ate ‘ini okan’ (corn meal). The thriller of it’s that until date, no person is aware of the supply of the meal, the place they purchased it or if it was from the preparation of the meal, all the things nonetheless stays a thriller to us. And it’s so unlucky that the entire thing needed to occur that method.

“My late brother and his spouse have been easygoing folks, who by no means made bother with anyone. So, we don’t know who may need poisoned them or if it was from the way in which they ready  the meal. Solely God is aware of the way it occurred.

“The case was reported to the police and  transferred to the Murder Part, State CID, Awka. They requested an post-mortem to be carried out on the corpses to determine the reason for loss of life.

“A staff of pathologists have been contacted from the Nnamdi Azikiwe College Educating Hospital, the place an post-mortem/toxicology check was carried out on the corpse of one of many deceased individuals and the outcome despatched to the state CID, Awka.

“We bought the photocopies of the outcome and a staff of execs have been capable of break down the medical terminologies and clarify the reason for the loss of life of my brother and his household to us.

“The incident was investigated however no arrest was made as nobody is aware of the supply of the meal they ate that night time, the place it was purchased from or the way it was bought.”

Whereas talking farther from a nook of the deceased’s compound, which really appeared abandoned, Ikebude added that the deceased would have been buried way back, however the burial was delayed by the formalities of going to announce the loss of life of his late brother’s spouse to her relations in Umuahia.

Based on him, the household of the spouse acquired the information of their daughter’s loss of life badly.

“My late brother’s spouse was from Umuahia in Abia State. When the surprising information bought to them, they didn’t take it calmly with us; her group members threatened that we should present their daughter alive. It took a variety of visitations and dialogue between our group and their group earlier than frayed nerves have been lastly calmed and so they allowed us to repair their burial date. The funeral programme will start on November 29, 2022.”

A youthful brother of the deceased, who craved anonymity, lamented that the relations had gone by means of loads because the interval of the unhappy incident and he wouldn’t need it to proceed. He blamed the printer’s error for reawakening  the pains of the unhappy incident.

“We’ve got gone by means of loads since this incident occurred and we might not need it to proceed. It’s an unlucky incident, which the relations and the group try to push behind us. If not for the printer’s error, we needed to only give them a quiet burial with none noise,” he added.

Additionally, a group chief, who recognized herself as Mrs Nkechi Okeke, described the incident as embarrassing and a taboo to the group, including that the difficulty of meals poisoning is a “nice sacrilege” in the neighborhood.

Okeke stated the Ozubulu elders had, by means of their gods, laid a “curse” on the culprits.

“The incident occurred in 2021. It was a tragic interval for the group as we wakened on October 8, to begin beholding the corpses of the deceased relations. Their loss of life has remained an unforgettable thriller to the group, subsequently, a curse was positioned on whoever dedicated such a dastardly act.

“The household have been an easygoing individuals who by no means needed any bother. We don’t know why such would occur to them. Though, it’s only God that actually is aware of what actually occurred, we consider if the hand of any man was of their loss of life, that particular person will certainly be uncovered in the future.

“It was the primary time such a factor would occur in our group and we’re not taking it calmly. The incident continues to be a shock to us; it’s a taboo in our group for anybody to kill someone by means of meals poisoning and the group has positioned curses on anybody who did such dastardly act and the choice was taken to keep away from a recurrence of such an evil act.

“Proper now, our president-general travelled and the group doesn’t have a monarch but, we’re nonetheless going to fulfill to take a last place on the matter,” Okeke added.

When contacted, the state police spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga, stated he was not conscious of the incident, because it occurred earlier than his switch to Anambra State.