Tr*gedy has struck the quiet Gaga community in Akure, where five family members—a grandmother and her four grandchildren—mysteriously d!ed within days of consuming pap.
According to reports from Ondo State’s Hope Newspaper, the incident took place on Atayese Street in the Gaga area of Oke Aro, Akure, and was discovered on Thursday, October 3, 2024.
Bola, a family member, explained that their elderly paternal grandmother had died suddenly. Given her advanced age, her passing was initially believed to be due to natural causes.
Shortly after her death, Bola’s sister and her husband visited the grandmother’s house with their children to sort through her belongings. The children—aged seven, five, and three, along with their 10-year-old cousin—ate some dried pap found in the kitchen, which their mother prepared despite the parents initially declining it.
Tragically, after consuming the pap, the children began experiencing severe pain. Alarmed, the parents rushed them to the UNIMED Teaching Hospital in Akure. The family soon suspected the pap might have been contaminated, potentially linking it to both the children’s symptoms and the grandmother’s death.
The family expressed dissatisfaction with the medical care provided, alleging that inexperienced doctors were responsible for the children’s eventual deaths after they had survived for three days in the hospital.
Adding to the mystery, Mr. A. Egunjobi, the head of the family, mentioned that the children had also eaten fish from a pond at the grandmother’s house, raising further suspicions about possible contamination.
Despite these trag!c events, the deaths were not reported to the police, and no investigation or autopsy was conducted. The children were buried shortly after, and their mother, Mrs. Bukola Adeola, was too grief-stricken to comment.
A source close to the family indicated that they did not suspect foul play, as the grandmother’s home was secluded and fenced off, leading them to believe it was a tragic accident.
Ondo State Police spokesperson, Mrs. Funmi Odunlami, confirmed that the incident had not been reported to the authorities.