BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
RESIDENTS of Ede, Ede North Local Government Area of Osun State have been thrown into panic over the death of three persons following cholera disease outbreak.
At least three other residents of the community have been hospitalised.
The Point gathered that those who had been rushed to the hospital were in critical condition.
This development has thrown the people of the ancient town into panic as others suspected food poisoning.
It was gathered that the victims were beggars at the popular Oke Gada area.
The Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Police Command, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, when contacted on Tuesday, confirmed the incident.
She said three persons had been confirmed dead due to the cholera outbreak in Oke Gada area of Ede while three others were currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
But some residents suspected food poisoning being the cause of the deaths.
A resident who simply identified himself as Ibukun said the manner in which the victims died was strange and that an unknown person had visited the beggars and offered them food (Amala and soup).
“About 13 beggars have been hospitalised after some of them died. It seems they were poisoned because we have never experienced such an issue in our community.
“I got to know about the issue on Monday evening. I learnt that some beggars took food from an unknown person and after that, some died while others were hospitalised,” Ibukun claimed.
The Police PRO, however, insisted it was a cholera outbreak and not food poisoning.
She said, “The Divisional Police Officer of Ede visited the Seriki of Hausa in the community over the incident because they did not report the matter to the police. The Seriki informed him that it was a Cholera outbreak and not food poisoning.
“Three people are dead while three others are in the hospital. We are still investigating the development.”
