NIGERIA: 9 die mysteriously after attending burial ceremony

Nine people, including a pregnant woman, died mysteriously in their sleep yesterday after they had participated in the burial ceremony of their grandmother, Mrs. Felicia Onyetumaku Njoku, aged 98.

The incident, which happened at Umuakuru Emekuku in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, had thrown the entire village into confusion as the youth went on the rampage, destroying everything on their way.

The cause of the death is yet to be ascertained. The deceased lay lifeless in their bedrooms, with foams covering their mouths.

It was learnt that Mr. Pascal Njoku, whose five children, Ebere, Ifenyiwa, Chibueze, Jacklin and Uchechi including his wife, Juliana, died along with him, came home to bury his mother, the late Felicia, at his compound where he built his new house.

The remaining two, Mrs. Christiana Uba, an expectant mother, and Mrs. Kathrin Ahanaku, both came to assist Pascal and his late wife in the burial ceremony.

Sources said that after the burial of the late Mrs. Felicia Njoku on Saturday, Pascal and his family went to sleep, hoping to be up the next day for the Sunday service, but they did not live to attend the service.

Many people, who spoke with our correspondent, ruled out poison.

They, however, said that Pascal and his wife had a long unresolved family squabble, which led to the man’s partial stroke.

He was said to have escaped to his in-laws’ house at Umuodu in Owerri Municipal Council where he lived for about a year with his family before returning to his new house to bury his late mother on Saturday.

It was learnt that the family started experiencing strange happenings in the house as one pastor invited to pray for the family on Wednesday was said to have been attacked spiritually, forcing him to run for his life.

Amidst tears, Mr. Evans Uba, Christiana’s husband, said if not for divine intervention his children would have perished in the mysterious death.

He said: “I told my wife to come home with me after we had buried the deceased, but her sister, Mrs. Juliana Njoku pleaded that I allow her to assist them entertain guests and clean the compound before returning home.”

Uba said that he ruled out poison because “many people would have died since the food they ate was the food they cooked and served the guests”.

Also, a family member, Eric Ibe, said the deceased did not give any sign of ill health as they all danced and entertained guests before going to sleep.

Meanwhile, the corpses have been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Owerri.