By Nwosu Collins
Tragedy struck in Eruda community, Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State, as four people lost their lives after eating Amala, a popular local delicacy made from yam flour and ‘lafun’. The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina El-Imam, confirmed the incident at a news conference on Tuesday in Ilorin.
According to Dr. El-Imam, the victims, including a 70-year-old woman, her son, and grandchildren, died after consuming the Amala. Another person also died of gastroenteritis, bringing the total number of deaths to five.
The Commissioner revealed that the state government had placed healthcare services on Outbreak Response Mode following the incident. A team from the health ministry visited the community and discovered that those who consumed the yam flour without ‘lafun’ were unaffected, while those who ate the mixture of both fell ill and died.
The survivors are currently receiving treatment in hospitals. Dr. El-Imam warned residents to be cautious when consuming local delicacies and to report any suspected cases of food poisoning to the authorities promptly.