18 September 2008
Medical experts from the Plateau Ministry of Health have been drafted to Barkin Ladi to ascertain the cause of the death of eight members of a family after a meal of beans porridge.
A member of the state Assem-bly from Barkin Ladi Constituen-cy, Mr Gyang Fulani, disclosed this on Wednesday in Jos in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Fulani, who is the Chief Whip of the Assembly, said, the measure was to forestall a reoccurrence of such a tragedy in the state.
The Legislator, who said he attended the burial of six of the vic-tims last Friday, described the deaths as "very shocking and tragic".
"It is very unfortunate and shocking because for a father to lose three of his sons, his mother, his immediate younger brother and three other family members can only be described as tragic," he said.
He said that since the general suspicion was that a preserva-tive used on the beans was still potent when the victims ate it, "people are being advised to be careful".
The incident, which took place in Margui, on the outskirts of Barkin Ladi, occurred barely two months after a similar one in neighbouring Mangu Local Go-vernment Area.
Four people were reported dead earlier in Margui, after a meal - tuwon masara - prepared with maize.
Efforts to get the Commissio-ner for Health, Mrs Angela Miri for a comment were not success-ful as she was away when NAN called at her office.
(NAN)
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