6 dead, 60 Hospitalized Over Alleged Poisoning Of Pork Meat In Enugu

No fewer than six people have been reported
dead and over 60 hospitalized in Amegu village,
Ede-Oballa in Nsukka Local Government Area of
Enugu State following an alleged poisoning of
pork meat they took at a funeral ceremony.
According to reports from Ede-Oballa, more than
60 guests developed severe stomach problems
after the funereal ceremony, prompting their
immediate hospitalization. Investigation by
Sunday Sun showed that all the popular hospitals
in the university town of Nsukka including the
Catholic Mission- owned Bishop Shanahan have
been flooded with the victims who were said to
be in critical conditions. A woman was said to be
the first casualty of the meat poisoning followed
by three girls while it was feared that two others
who are not natives of the community also died.
It was gathered that a pig farmer who sold the
infected animal to a woman (name withheld)
who hosted the funeral, was in police net.
Hospital sources expressed apprehension over
the survival of the victims, saying they ought to
have been rushed to the hospital same night. “In
a situation like this, victims should be rushed to
the hospital promptly for early stomach wash”,
said a hospital source. The source however said
frantic efforts are being made to save the lives of
the victims Another reliable source suspected
that guests at the funeral might have been served
the meat of a dead pig injected by a veterinary
doctor.
The source said the owner of the pig (name
withheld) had lied to the woman that the pig fell
into a ditch. Apparently due to the intimidating
size of the pig and its relative cheapness, the
woman quickly entered a bargain and bought the
meat not knowing it was sick and had been
treated recently by a veterinary doctor who also
advised that in the event of its death, the animal
should be buried. A source quoted the doctor
who has been quizzed by the police as saying
that he advised the pig farmer to bury the animal
if it died within three weeks of the injection.
The tragic incident has caused tension in Nsukka
zone where pigs are used at funeral ceremonies
as an imperative and status symbol. It was
gathered that since the incident, guests at burial
ceremonies in the area have been avoiding pork.
This has created problems for pig farmers who
have lost patronage due to the tragedy.
Our reporter could not reach the veterinary
doctor at the time of filing this report. A senior
police officer attached to the Nsukka Urban Police
Command said that some of the guests and the
pig farmer were helping the police in their
investigation.
-SUN