Mystery ‘Suya’ Kills Seven Persons In Abia, Two Others In Critical Condition

By Charles Nwabardi

What ordinarily was a routine rendezvous of feasting in shish kebab locally known as suya has turned a deadly event as no fewer than seven persons have died soon after eating suya.

There was palpable tension on Thursday in Umueze, Umuakanu community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, after seven people from the same community died following their consumption of the local delicacy which was reportedly taken eaten with an undisclosed brand of juice drink.

AtlanticNewsonlinesources said father of the house whose name was given as Mr. Sunday Jessey, had gone out earlier in the day and was said to have bought the suya which all the entire family, including four extended family members who came on holidays ate.

Trouble was said to have begun for members of the family when a few minutes after eating the suya started vomiting. The suya was suspected to have been poisoned.

A source told AtlanticNewsonline that before any help could come the way of the family members, they were all dead, except Mrs. Ogba Jessey the wife of Mr. Jessey.

While one of their sons survived because he was at school and could not partake in eating of the suya. Mrs Jessey is said to be unconscious and taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia where she is currently receiving treatment. She was said to be unaware that other members of the family were dead.

Investigations however, revealed that four of the kids who died were actually from Mr. Sunday’s former neighbour and friend.

According to the father of the four children, whose name was simply given as Ikwunze, his former neighbour known as Sunday, who hailed from Item in Bende Local Government Area of the State had called and asked his children over.

He revealed that this was not unusual as the man, who turned out to be a close family friend, had been doing that over the years since he moved out of their area.

The man reportedly obliged and when his children who were aged 12, 10, nine and three arrived at the friend’s home, the friend went out and bought Suya and some juice drinks for the whole family and their guests to eat.

Unfortunately after eating the suya and drinking the juice, the whole family did not wake up on Thursday morning, except the wife of Sunday and his first daughter who were critically ill and taken for treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.

Brother to the father of the deceased four children, who gave his name as Ken, said his brother called him early Thursday morning to reveal he had no children again.

“When my younger brother called me that he had no child again, I did not understand what he meant as he has four children who are aged 12, 10, nine and three. I drove down to his place, but met an ambulance and police van driving out.”

Confirming the incident, an official of the FMC, Umuahia said the wife of the deceased was the first to be brought to the hospital and was responding to treatment, while seven bodies have been deposited at the hospital’s morgue.

Meanwhile, the Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has directed authorities of the relevant medical facility, where the surviving family members were treated and discharged, to ensure a comprehensive autopsy for those who lost their lives.

Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, who confirmed this in a statement, said governor Ikpeazu has fully settled the medical bills of the survivors who had been discharged.