A widow in Ohuepe, Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State, has said she narrowly escaped death after a family dinner of amala made from cassava flour killed her husband and two children on August 14, 2026. The woman, known locally as Mama Rahama, said her husband, Rahama, and two of her children, Rabiyat and Samad, died within hours of each other at Ado Ozuka Hospital in Ogaminana. Three other children who also ate the meal were hospitalised.
How the tragedy unfolded
Mama Rahama said the family ate the meal as dinner and went to bed without incident. By the following morning, those who had consumed larger portions began showing signs of severe weakness, stomach pain, and vomiting. She said she ate only a small quantity because she had recently been discharged from hospital and had little appetite. Her four-year-old last born, Mikail, refused to eat the food entirely.
"Except my four-year-old last born, Mikail, who refused to eat the food, my husband, Rahama, Rabiyat, Samad, Senani and Haliru ate the amala for dinner," she said. Her husband and the two children who died had eaten considerably more.
"As the situation became worse, four of us were rushed to Ado Ozuka Hospital in Ogaminana. But Rabiyat died, followed by Samad and later my husband, all within a few hours on the same day," she said. Mama Rahama has since been discharged and has appealed to the Kogi State Government and well-meaning individuals to support her surviving children.
Seven deaths reported across two communities
A separate incident in Ikoyi, Ihima, claimed the lives of four children after nine people from two families ate a meal also made from cassava flour last Thursday, August 20. Some members of the households consumed leftovers the following morning. A resident, Al-Hassan Idris, said those who ate the food quickly developed severe weakness before progressing to stooling and vomiting of blood. The four children were rushed to hospital but did not survive. Two died on Friday and two more on Saturday.
Idris added that a dog given some of the leftover food also vomited and died shortly afterwards. The chairman of Okehi Local Government Area, Monday Amoka, said food samples had been sent to a medical laboratory in Lokoja for analysis. Five other victims remained in hospital receiving treatment.
Government orders investigation
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo directed the Commissioner for Health to lead a comprehensive investigation into the deaths. Commissioner for Information and Communications Kingsley Femi Fanwo said the probe would determine whether contamination, medical conditions, or environmental factors were responsible. Medical consultant Dr Ahmed Okolo, based in Lokoja, urged authorities to trace the origin of the cassava flour and conduct post-mortem examinations on the victims to identify the cause of organ failure.
"The raw material could have been contaminated at the source, by the seller or middlemen in an attempt to preserve it or increase its quality or quantity," he said. Some residents have linked the deaths to a toxic variety of cassava commonly called "bitter cassava," which can be dangerous if not processed correctly before cooking. Similar deaths were also reported in nearby communities of Obeiba, Ikuehi and Ohuepe within the past two months.
The ongoing investigation, led by the state health commissioner, is expected to determine the exact cause of the deaths and whether further cases will emerge as food samples from the affected communities are analysed in Lokoja.
