A middle-aged man, popularly known as Uncle Light, and his son, Miracle, have reportedly died from suspected food poisoning at Ebebe Junction in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State.
The deceased were living with a woman who allegedly moved in with the man after separating from her husband earlier this year. She is suspected of having poisoned the meal they consumed.
The bodies of the father and son were found lifeless in different parts of the compound.
A local resident, who requested anonymity, said the woman left the house early that morning with her baby and had not returned since the incident occurred.
He said, “Since it happened on Wednesday, we’ve not seen her. She left early with her baby and abandoned the man and his son. We don’t know exactly what they ate that made them start vomiting.
“The man is lying inside, unclothed, while the boy is at the gate. We need the authorities to evacuate them to hospital before decomposition sets in.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Joshua Ukandu, stated that he had not yet received an official report but would deploy officers to the area to investigate.
Not long after, police officers arrived at the scene with a man who identified himself as the woman’s brother. He informed the police that his sister was unwell and currently in custody.
Another neighbour, who also asked not to be named, said, “I heard a loud noise in the night and told my wife something might be happening nearby.
“At first, we assumed it was a church programme, but early in the morning, we saw the boy struggling in pain outside the gate.
“He was crying out for water. A neighbour gave him some, but he died shortly afterwards. It seemed like diarrhoea, but only an autopsy will confirm the cause of death.”
At the time of this report, both bodies had been removed by the police.