A father and his son have tragically died in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, from suspected food poisoning. The victims, a middle-aged man known as Uncle Light and his son, Miracle, were found lifeless in their home at Ebebe Junction on Wednesday, sparking a wave of shock and concern in the local community.
According to sources, the man and his son were living with a woman who had moved in with Uncle Light after divorcing her husband earlier this year. Residents believe that the woman may have been responsible for poisoning the food that the father and son consumed, leading to their sudden and untimely deaths.
The bodies of the two victims were found in separate parts of the compound. The father was lying in the house, unclothed, while the son was found lying near the gate. Both appeared to have passed away under very suspicious circumstances.
A local resident, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, shared more details about the discovery. “Since the incident happened on Wednesday, we haven’t seen the woman. She left early in the morning with her baby and hasn’t returned,” the resident said. “We don’t know what they ate, but we saw the father and son vomiting before they collapsed.”
The resident further described the tragic scene: “The man was found lying inside, naked, while the son was outside near the gate. The bodies need to be evacuated before they start smelling.”
The report of the tragic deaths has drawn the attention of local police. Police Public Relations Officer, Joshua Ukandu, confirmed that he had not yet received an official report but promised to send officers to investigate the incident.
Less than an hour after the police were alerted, officers arrived at the scene with a man who identified himself as the brother of the woman who had been living with the victims. The man reportedly told the police that his sister was ill and had been taken into custody for questioning.
The investigation took a new turn when another resident revealed that they had heard loud voices the previous night, which initially seemed like noise from a church program. However, it was only in the early hours of the morning that they noticed the son, Miracle, outside the gate, struggling in pain and asking for water. A neighbour reportedly provided water to the young man before he died.
“This is so sad,” said the anonymous resident. “We thought it was a normal noise from a church program, but in the morning, we saw the son writhing in pain outside the gate. He was crying for water, and before we knew it, he passed away.”
The resident also speculated that the cause of death might have been diarrhea or poisoning, but highlighted that an autopsy would be required to confirm the exact cause of death.
As of now, the bodies of Uncle Light and his son, Miracle, have been evacuated by the police. The authorities are now working to confirm the cause of death and to locate the woman involved, who is currently missing.
While there is widespread suspicion that food poisoning may be to blame, only an official investigation and autopsy will provide clarity on the cause of the deaths. The community remains in shock as they await further developments in this tragic case.
In the meantime, residents are calling for swift justice and proper investigation to bring closure to the unfortunate deaths of the father and son.
