By Bisola Adeyemo
No fewer than 24 family members have been confirmed dead on Tuesday, after eating some poisonous food.
The incident which happened on Monday in Danzanke village of Bargaja ward of Isa Local Government Area in Sokoto State, was confirmed on Tuesday by the State Commissioner for Health, Ali Inname.
Ali Inname explained that the incident was caused by the use of a fertiliser type of chemical, popularly called “Gishirin Lalle in Hausa” as a seasoning in domestic family cooking, which was considered as common salt.
“Regrettably, the entire family who ate the meal lost their lives, except two female members, who merely tasted the food and are currently responding to treatment, with very good chances of survival.
“Attempts to save the lives of all the affected people by providing the needed medical care proved abortive,” Daily post quoted Inname.
The commissioner urged the public to learn from this incident and keep away such poisonous chemicals from easy reach.
He further appealed to people to always be cautious to prevent reoccurrence in their families.
He said that it was very important for the public to know that the incidence was preventable and not contagious, as it was extremely fatal, even with the best medical attention given to victims.
Inname advised people to always separate storage sites for food items from other agricultural and cosmetic items and to carefully check all ingredients and foodstuff before use.