By Chinenyeh Ozor, Nsukka
The number of people that died after eating pig meat at a funeral ceremony in Ede-Oballa community, Nsukka L.G.A of Enugu State recently has risen to seven.
The latest victim is a pregnant woman from Nze autonomous community in a neighbouring Udi LGA who came to honour the invitation from her friend. She reportedly arrived the village a day earlier only for her to die after eating the pig meat the next day.
Meanwhile, a team of medical experts from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and World Health Organization (WHO) has begun full scale investigations into the alleged dead pig meat served at the funeral. The team reportedly visited the town, Elu-Onicha in Ama-Egbu village and took blood samples and faeces of the only surviving pig at the pen of the pig farmer who allegedly sold the dead pig to the funeral celebrant, a widow.
A team of medical experts probing the source of the dead pig meat that allegedly killed the guests had reportedly visited the town. The experts took blood sample and faeces of the only surviving pig at the pen of the pig farmer who allegedly sold the dead pig to the funeral celebrant, a widow.
One of the victims of the dead pig meat admitted at Good Shepherd Hospital, Nsukka is in critical condition while others that ate the dead pig meat were defecating and vomiting blood when they were brought to the hospital. A hospital source said only one of the victims who was brought late at the hospital died.
Mrs. Caroline Akweka who hosted the controversial funeral in memory of her late husband told Crime Alert that she bought the dead pig at the cost of N13,000 and shared it with another widow, Mrs. Asogwa Uchechukwu who also was hosting the funeral of her late husband. The embattled widow whose son, Emeka is now helping the police in her stead said none of her children including herself had any problem after taking the dead pig meat served at the funeral.
Meanwhile, the seller of the dead pig, Mr. Ifeanyi Eze is also helping the police in their investigations. His elder brother, Ephraim told Crime Alert that the dead pig had developed rashes and was treated by a female health worker with multivitamin drugs before its death, noting that he ate the dead pig meat with his other siblings and nothing happened to them. He explained that the female health worker did not instruct his brother Ifeanyi to bury the pig if it dies.
Reacting to the controversial dead pig meat, Ede-Oballa Community traditional Prime Minister, Engr. Chris Asogwa condemned the actions of the pig farmer for selling the dead pig to the funeral celebrant and commended the University of Nigeria Veterinary medical team for stepping up a full scale investigation into the source of the dead pig meat that led to the death of people after a funeral ceremony. Dr. J. A Nwanta, leader of the medical team told Crime Alert that Dr. Uchendu Goodhead catalyzed the Veterinary faculty action, explaining that the investigation was part of their services to the host community of the university.
