The Nasarawa State Government has mobilized health workers to the Gidinye community in Obi Local Government Area following the sudden deaths of five children within a 24-hour period.
The children, aged between five and 15, died after experiencing severe stomach aches, vomiting, and diarrhea on Monday and Tuesday. Gidinye, located in the Jenkwe Development Area, is home to thousands of residents, including many children.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Grace Tsakpa confirmed the incident in Lafia on Wednesday, stating that healthcare workers have been deployed to the community to collect samples from surviving family members. While results from these samples are still pending, Dr. Tsakpa suspects food poisoning as the potential cause, as the symptoms began shortly after the children consumed a meal on the farm.
Dr. Tsakpa explained, “We have taken samples from the other family members, but our suspicion is going towards food poisoning because the incident happened after they ate food at the farm. The five children belong to two brothers. The family went to the farm, cooked there, and ate. It was on the farm that one of the children started complaining of abdominal pains and later died. The other four children also died after developing similar symptoms.”
She expressed condolences to the affected families and assured them that a thorough investigation would be conducted to determine the exact cause of the children’s deaths.
Samuel Akala, Publicity Secretary of the Migili Youth Association, provided additional details, noting that the children had gone to the farm with their parents near Keana Local Government Area when they suddenly fell ill. He urged the Nasarawa State Government and relevant authorities to promptly address the issue to prevent further casualties.
“We lost the five children in less than 24 hours in the same community. The children left home for the farm. While on the farm, one of them started complaining of stomach ache and began vomiting and purging at the same time. Within a short time, he began to have difficulty with his breathing, and when he was rushed home, he died. The other children had similar symptoms and died,” Akala said.
He emphasized the need for forensic investigations and suggested that the Centre for Disease Control and the Primary Healthcare Development Agency be involved in disease surveillance in communities around Obi and Keana LGAs, where there have been recent reports of acute diarrhea, vomiting, and child deaths.
Akala stressed the community’s desire to understand the cause of the sudden deaths and appealed for swift action to prevent the unknown disease from affecting more people in the area.
