Mother, Four Children Found Unconscious In Benue, Four-Year-Old Confirmed Dead

Tragedy struck Akaajime community in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State on Wednesday when five members of the same family were discovered unconscious in their home, with one confirmed dead.

The victims, a mother and her four children, were reportedly found in a coma before concerned neighbours rushed them to a private hospital in Gboko. Sadly, one of the children, a four-year-old boy, was confirmed dead before medical help could be provided.

A family member, Mohivinze Terkura, who narrowly escaped the tragedy, told journalists that she survived only because she spent the night at her aunt’s residence due to heavy rainfall.

According to her, she returned home at about 10 a.m. on Wednesday and noticed that the door of their house was still locked from inside, which raised her suspicion.

She recounted:
“I did not come back home to sleep due to heavy rain yesterday, so I decided to spend the night at my aunt’s place. But when I returned this morning, I met the door still shut, and several attempts to open it failed.

I eventually forced the door open, only to find my mother and siblings lying unconscious. I immediately raised an alarm, and neighbours helped me rush them to the nearest hospital. Unfortunately, before we arrived, my four-year-old younger brother had already died.

I cannot really explain what caused the incident, but when we opened the door, I perceived a strong chemical-like smell similar to cooking gas. However, we don’t have a gas cooker in the house, and aside from using mosquito nets, we don’t apply insecticides indoors.”

One of the survivors, who later regained consciousness at the hospital, narrated his experience to reporters.
“I woke up to prepare for school but couldn’t get out of bed. I called out to our mother, but she didn’t respond. I then realised that everyone in the room was unconscious. We were helpless until my sister returned in the morning around 10 a.m. Sadly, my younger brother died before we could be rescued,” he said.

Confirming the incident, Dr. Joshua Atime of Vawar Hospital, Akaajime, Gboko, said members of the family were brought in unconscious on Wednesday morning. He explained that they were stabilised and later transferred to the General Hospital, Gboko, for further treatment.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Gboko Local Government Area, Torseer Yina, said he had yet to receive an official briefing on the matter.
“I have not received any formal information about the incident, but I saw it on social media, and that was how I got to know about it,” he stated.

Efforts to obtain a response from the Benue State Police Command proved unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, did not respond to phone calls or text messages.

Source: Informationng