Tragedy struck in Amorji near Abakpa Nike, Enugu East local government area of Enugu State, following the death of three family members and their maid after eating a meal suspected to have been poisoned.
The victims were identified as the head of the family, Lawrence Chukwu; his wife, Chizoba; their daughter, Nazareth; and the maid, Ukamaka.
Their nine-month-old baby girl survived the tragedy, as she was not fed with the food.
A neighbour, Dominic Gloria, said that the family went to bed on Friday without any problem.
“We woke up on Saturday morning and found the family members struggling for life. We didn’t know what was wrong with them and they were immediately rushed to the 82 Division Army Hospital. Later that day, their maid died.
“After series of tests, we learnt that the food they ate before they went to sleep on Friday night was contaminated with a poisonous substance. Unfortunately, all efforts to save them failed, as the man and his wife died on Saturday, and on Tuesday morning, their two-year-old daughter equally died,” Gloria added.
The mother of late Chizoba, Elizabeth Nwankwo, confirmed the incident.
She said that she received a phone call on Saturday after the maid died.
“So, when I got there, I saw my daughter and her husband lying speechless. I took the remains of the house help to her parents for burial and before I came back, my daughter and her husband had equally died. This morning (Tuesday), their two-year-old daughter that I was hoping would survive died.”
While lamenting the tragedy, Mrs Nwankwo said the remains of her grandchild had been taken to her home town in Ameta Mgbo, in the Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State for burial, while the bodies of the couple were in a morgue.
She said the hospital informed her that the food the family ate before going to bed was contaminated with a poisonous substance.
Nwankwo appealed to Nigerians to come to her aid to take care of the family’s only surviving child.
