Tragedy struck in Enugu as five members of family of six died mysteriously in their family home at Amaokpo, Nike, Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The family of Onyekwere Chukwumalu of Eziowelle, Idemili Local Government Area of Anambra, it was gathered, went to sleep on Monday night but was discovered dead on Wednesday morning with their body peeling off, an indication that they might have died of a chemical or generator fume.
It was also gathered that nobody knew of their death until somebody who worked with late Mr. Chukwumalu, a building contractor, went to look for him on appointment but found the house locked but his vehicle was parked outside.
He was forced to move closer to discover that the family was lying down dead in one heap as the late Chukwumalu was said to have held his family together as if they were praying.
It was further gathered that the incident attracted the neighbourhood, who contributed money to break into the house to bring out the corpses.
It was equally gathered that the police at Abakpa Nike, the Chairman of Enugu East, Hon. Alex Ugwu and the UN rescue mission went to the place to see things for themselves Wednesday evening.
It was also gathered that in the process of bringing out the corpses that one of the man’s children, Arinze, 10, shouted Jesus and was later rushed to UNTH, Ituku-Ozala, where he is said to be responding to treatment.
Speaking to newsmen Thursday at the National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu where the corpses of the deceased were kept, the South East Zonal Commander of the United Nations Rescue team, Emmanuel Okoye said that somebody informed them about the incident that a man and his family was killed and they went to the scene.
Okoye told newsmen that they helped to take the corpses to the mortuary since the police was nowhere to be found at the time the rescue team went to the scene.
Contacted, the Chairman of Enugu East Local Government Area, Hon. Alex Ugwu said that late Chukwumalu was a good person and wondered how he would die in that manner.
He attributed his death to a possible food poisoning since there was no generator to suggest that it could be as a result of fumes from exhaust.
“When I heard about the incident, I alerted the police and the Ministry of Health to take charge. It was when the officials if the Ministry of Health were trying to evacuate the corpse that one of the man’s children sneezed and was discovered to be alive and was rushed to the hospital,” he said.
Efforts to get the police comment on the incident yielded little dividend as the police spokesman, Daniel Ndukwe Ekea, said that he was not aware of the incident but that he would “get back to me.”
