Exclusive: Kwara govt launches investigation as 3 die after allegedly eating amala in Ilorin

The Kwara State Ministry of Health has opened an investigation into the deaths of three people over the alleged consumption of Amala.

Under yet-to-be-ascertained circumstances, three people were reported dead in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, after allegedly eating Amala – a Yoruba staple food made from (Elubo) yam flour.

The Informant247 gathered that two of the deceased, Halimat Yusuf and her 34-year-old son Kamaldeen Yusuf, died on Sunday and have been buried according to Islamic rites.

Meanwhile, 10-year-old Khalid Abubakar, a grandson of Halimat, also died on Monday morning.

Speaking to The Informant247 on Monday, the Commissioner for Health, Kwara State, Dr. Amina El-Imam, noted that the ministry is yet to ascertain the cause of death of the deceased.

“The information reached me this morning that three people died due to the alleged consumption of amala. We went there immediately and met with the family members, who said they suspected that the consumption of amala caused the deaths,” she said.

The Commissioner noted that the ministry will open an investigation to get to the root of the matter.

“We have not conducted any tests yet, and there is no evidence to rule out chemical contamination, pathogens, or any other potential causes. However, we have collected a sample of elubo (yam flour) for testing. There is a lot more work being done in the ministry, and further investigation will be conducted to ensure we get to the root of the matter,” she added.

The Commissioner further stated that one of the affected victims has recovered, while others are being treated.

The genesis

Ibrahim AbdulSalam, a member of the family where the late Halimat was formerly married, said the late Halimat cooked the amala for her child and grandchildren to eat.

“They (the grandchildren) visited their grandmother (Halimat), and it was there that they ate the amala after which they started having stomach aches.

“She (Halimat) was called to check on her son (Kamaldeen), who was complaining about stomach aches. Upon arriving, she was shocked by her son’s health condition and eventually fainted.”

He further narrated that the woman and her child later died a few minutes to each other at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).

He noted that one of the grandchildren, Khalid Abubakar, also died on Monday morning.

“One of her grandkids who ate the amala died this morning, and we had to rush another one to Temitope Hospital for treatment,” he said.

He added that other children who were believed to have gone to the late Halimat’s house had been taken to the General Hospital in Ilorin for further testing and treatment.

” The one at Temitope hospital is getting better and others who were taken to General Hospital have been tested. Some of them are not affected while others who were affected have been admitted,” he said.

During a visit to the late Halimat’s house, a family member argued that the deceased did not die as a result of the amala they consumed.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Khalifa Olokuta claimed that the late Halimat died due to the shock she experienced upon seeing the condition of her son.

He argued that there are other people who ate the same amala and are still healthy.

“She (Halimat) left here on Saturday evening after being called by her son who said he was purging and vomiting. She was shocked and later fainted after seeing the condition of his son,” he said.

He noted that they were both admitted at different hospital before being taken to UITH where they later died.

” It was only after learning about her son’s death that she died,” he said. “It was not the amala they ate here that caused their deaths, as there are other people who ate the same food in this house and have not experienced any issues.”

Regarding the demise of the grandchild, Khalifa said the death must have been caused by food eaten elsewhere, saying the food eaten by other deceased on Saturday may have caused their death.

“On Saturday, there was a Quranic walimat graduation for one of the grandchildren of Halimat, Which I think is one of the reasons the children left here earlier. So maybe it was the food that they ate on Saturday that caused the death.

“We can’t speak on the death of the other people but the woman died due to her hypertensive status,” he said