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 funeral 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-
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. Click to continue reading.
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.
-Daily SUN
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