Death of six siblings sparks controversy

Contrary to allegations making the round, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Mr Hosea Karma, has stated that the six siblings, who died in Ekwulumili, Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra state, about two weeks ago after eating a meal of rice and beans, were not poisoned.

Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone, Karma said the six children died after eating their mother’s meal.

“Nobody killed them. They died after eating jollof rice and beans. One of the children first complained of runny stomach before giving up. So, nobody killed them.

“Our suspicion is that the beans might be contaminated by preservative chemical.

“Ekwulumili is not known for such diabolic acts. We’re predominantly a Christian community with ancestral consanguinity and affinity. So, nobody can think of such an evil act here. Why should somebody think of killing such innocent souls? For what purpose,” the source queried.

Corroborating the source, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police said, “The parents of the children, who spoke with us, did not tell us that anybody poisoned or killed their children. “The mother of the children told us that the children died after eating a meal she cooked by herself and served to her children by herself.

“So why should we start arresting people on the issue when the parents of the children have not said they were suspecting that somebody poisoned their food or killed their children?

“The six children died after eating their mother’s food.”

There had been speculation that the six siblings died after their parents had a heated quarrel with a family relation over a piece of family farmland. This had thrown the community into confusion.

The Anambra State Police Command had during the preliminary investigations into the matter raised the alarm that youths in the community had impeded investigations into the matter.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ali Okechukwu, had told our correspondent on the telephone that the youths in the area were hostile to the investigating police team.

He said, “I don’t know what their problem is. They are hostile to our men, especially that first day

“They didn’t allow our men (police) to enter the community to carry out investigations. They blocked everywhere,” the PPRO said.

The parents of the deceased were reported to be threatening to commit suicide since after the incident.

But another anonymous source insisted that “The children were killed by an unknown person by poisoning the food they kept in their kitchen.

“The killers should be figured out and punished. What type of rice and beans could have wiped a whole generation this way?”