Ijeoma Ugba, eldest daughter of a Deacon of the Assemblies of God Church, Sunday Ugba, who died in the early hours of Monday, August 30, along with six other members of his family in Umuahia, Abia State, after a meal of roasted meat popularly known as Suya and fruit juice, has told how she miraculously cheated death.
The young woman, who also consumed the meat, has also given an insight into how she watched helplessly at midnight as her father, two siblings and four other family members on a visit to their Umuahia home were in pains.
She woke up on Monday morning to behold the lifeless bodies of her father and the six others, but her mother was rushed unconscious to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, where she is currently receiving medical treatment.
“I ate the Suya but did not take the juice”, said Ijeoma, “but my father and others who took the Suya and the fruit juice started experiencing serious stomach pain shortly after”, she recalled.
“Barely one hour after taking the suya and juice, they started feeling serious stomach pains; there was serious commotion in the house as everybody began to roll on the ground, crying for help.
“But after about 30 minutes, there was calm. Everybody seemed to have regained themselves. Around 10 p.m., we all retired to sleep.
“Unfortunately, in the morning, I woke up to see the lifeless bodies of my dad and brothers and the four children on holiday in our house”, she narrated, sobbing.
For Ijeoma, life would not be the same again, even as the state government has given an assurance to unravel the mystery death of the seven family members.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the Commissioner for Information, Chief Okiyi Kalu, the Abia State Government urged relatives of the deceased to remain calm.
Kalu stated that government had contacted all the relevant agencies to investigate the unfortunate incident.
“We wish to call for calm and patience to enable the relevant medical authorities to properly determine the cause of the death of the seven persons”.
The commissioner conveyed the condolences of the state government to the relations and friends of the deceased.
Meanwhile, the Abia State Police Command said it had commenced investigation into the sad incident.
Geoffrey Ogbonna, a Superintendent of Police, however noted that no arrest had been made in the “investigation to ascertain the cause of the death”.
He appealed to the public, especially relations and friends of the deceased, to assist the command with useful information that could help it get to the root of the incident.
The seven family members were found dead in the early hours of Monday, August 30, at their home in Umueze Ibeku, Umuahia, after they allegedly ate suya with fruit juice on Sunday night.
