Tragedy in Ogidi: How Five Siblings Died from Suspected Food Poisoning in Anambra
The quiet community of Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State has been plunged into deep mourning following the tragic death of five siblings from suspected food poisoning. The incident, which occurred on Saturday, May 3, 2025, has sent shockwaves across the state, drawing tears, sympathy, and a growing call for a thorough investigation into the heartbreaking circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The family at the center of the tragedy, the Aghalus, once known for their close-knit bond and modest lifestyle, is now grappling with a devastating loss that no words can adequately describe.
The ill-fated day began like any other. The morning was calm. Birds chirped lazily under the humid sky. Children laughed in compounds. But by nightfall, the Aghalu compound had become a ground zero of grief and confusion.
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Pa Robinson Aghalu, a 79-year-old retired soldier and patriarch of the household, had spent most of the day resting in his sitting room, occasionally napping and listening to an old radio set that crackled with fading music. His wife, Mama Josephine Aghalu, a known disciplinarian and caregiver, had prepared a meal of boiled yam and a native sauce made with tomatoes, onions, palm oil, and seasoning cubes — a staple in many southeastern Nigerian homes.
The children — all under the age of 16 — gathered in the evening to eat. There was no forewarning, no apparent anomaly in the food’s smell, taste, or appearance. After dinner, the family settled into their normal evening routines: the older children helping their younger siblings with homework, and the two teenagers preparing for Sunday mass the next morning.
But within an hour, the first wave of symptoms began to appear.
Pa Aghalu recalls the chilling moment with trembling lips and moist eyes.
“They started holding their stomachs, one after the other,” he said. “Then vomiting, crying, and asking for help. My wife too was on the floor, rolling and screaming in pain.”
What began as minor abdominal discomfort soon escalated into violent vomiting, foaming at the mouth, disorientation, and in some cases, blood-stained regurgitation. The frantic father, barely able to lift two of his youngest sons, ran into the streets screaming for help.
Neighbours responded swiftly. In a matter of minutes, vehicles were arranged to rush the children and their mother to the nearest health facilities. The children were taken to a combination of clinics and hospitals — the local maternity clinic, Iyienu Mission Hospital, and Crown Hospital in Onitsha.
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Despite medical efforts, five of the six children died within hours.
The only surviving child of the family, 13-year-old Chukwuma, had been absent from the home on the tragic day. According to neighbours, he had been sent to spend the weekend with a maternal uncle in Nnewi to prepare for his Junior WAEC exams. His absence is now viewed as a twist of fate that saved his life.
When news of his siblings’ deaths reached him the following day, Chukwuma collapsed and had to be revived. He has since been taken into the care of relatives, though his emotional condition remains fragile.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Josephine Aghalu, the children’s mother and the one who prepared the fatal meal, is fighting for her life in a private hospital, whose name remains undisclosed for security and privacy reasons.
A medical officer at one of the hospitals who requested anonymity disclosed to our correspondent that “clinical evidence strongly suggests acute food poisoning” as the cause of the deaths.
“She (the mother) is presenting symptoms consistent with organophosphate poisoning — a type of poisoning that results from ingesting harmful pesticides often found in contaminated food or water.”
The Anambra State Police Command, through its spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident and assured the public that investigations had commenced.
“The command is aware of this tragic development,” Ikenga stated. “Our operatives have taken over the scene and collected food samples from the home for forensic analysis. We are also interviewing neighbours, local vendors, and medical personnel to understand the origin of the poisoning.”
He further confirmed that the remains of the children have been deposited in a morgue pending autopsy results and possible criminal investigation if foul play is suspected.
Ogidi town, located in the cultural heartland of Anambra State, is no stranger to tales of hardship or struggle. But the scale of the Aghalu family’s loss has shocked even the most stoic of residents.
“You don’t just wake up and see five coffins in one compound,” said Mrs. Ngozi Maduabuchi, a family friend and member of the local Anglican Women’s Fellowship. “These children were full of life. We saw them playing just two days before. Now we are planning their funeral.”
Local schoolteachers have described the deceased children as bright and obedient. One of them, 14-year-old Adaora, had recently won a community essay competition on the theme “My Dream for Nigeria.”
Her classmates gathered tearfully at the school’s assembly ground to say prayers and observe a minute of silence in her memory.
The tragedy has also renewed discussions about food safety and poverty in rural communities. With inflation biting hard and incomes dwindling, many families are forced to rely on cheap, second-grade ingredients and bulk food items purchased from open markets — sometimes with questionable safety standards.
According to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria loses hundreds of lives annually to food-related illnesses, including aflatoxin poisoning, pesticide ingestion, and bacterial infections.
A NAFDAC official who spoke anonymously said the agency had, in recent years, intensified campaigns on proper food handling and storage, but “rural awareness remains dangerously low.”
With the mother still in hospital and the father both emotionally broken and financially drained, the family now depends heavily on community donations. Local groups, including Ogidi Welfare Association and the St. Paul’s Catholic Church, have launched emergency fundraisers to help cover hospital bills, burial arrangements, and psychological support for Chukwuma.
An online crowdfunding initiative, “#SaveOgidiFamily,” is also gaining traction among Anambra indigenes in the diaspora.
In response to the outcry, the Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Health, dispatched a health surveillance team to the area. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidigbo, who visited the Aghalu home on Monday, described the incident as “a colossal loss” and assured that the state would get to the root of it.
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“We will do everything within our power to support the family and prevent a repeat of this tragic event,” Dr. Obidigbo said.
The Commissioner also promised that a full toxicological report would be made public once investigations are complete.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Anambra Chapter, issued a statement calling for the establishment of rapid-response toxicology labs in major towns across the state to handle cases of suspected poisoning.
Beyond the headlines and police tapes lies a simple truth: five innocent lives were lost in a manner that could have been prevented with better food education, regulation, and vigilance.
“What hurts most is the randomness of it,” said Father Boniface Ibeh, the parish priest of the family’s local church. “These were not careless parents. They simply didn’t know that something in their kitchen was a ticking time bomb.”
He urged the government to launch an aggressive food safety awareness campaign, especially in rural areas.
As funeral preparations begin for the five siblings, a fog of sorrow hangs heavily in the air. The once-lively Aghalu compound has become a place of dirges, silence, and endless weeping. The children’s toys sit unused. Their school bags remain packed by the door.
A family that once dreamed of raising educated, God-fearing children now finds itself planning five burials.
According to relatives, the burial is scheduled for Friday, May 16, 2025. It will be a day of collective mourning — not just for the Aghalus, but for the entire Ogidi community.
The tragedy in Ogidi is a painful reminder of the fragile balance between daily life and death in many Nigerian communities where poverty, ignorance, and poor regulation converge dangerously. As the Aghalu family mourns, there’s a national lesson to be learned: food, the very thing that sustains us, can also kill — if we fail to handle it with the utmost care.
The challenge now lies not just in mourning the dead, but in protecting the living.
