Mystery ailment claims four lives in Benue

At least four people have in the past two weeks, died to a strange sickness ravaging the Oye Obi community, in Obi Local government area of Benue state.

Victims of the disease were said to have suffered similar symptoms of internal heat, headache, vomiting, body weakness, stomach ache and swelling.

The president-elect of the INYC (Igede National Youth Council), Andyson Egbodo, who brought the development to the notice of healthcare authorities in Oju local government through a letter tagged “Save our Souls”, gave the names of the victims as Happiness Ogbu, Onah Ogbedu, Andy Edu and Wisdom Agwo.

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The association called on the Benue state government to arrest the epidemic immediately as six more persons have been confirmed to be suffering from similar symptoms.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Sunday Ongbabo, when contacted, confirmed the strange sickness in the community saying that the ministry had deployed some medical personnels to the affected area to investigate and ascertain the nature of the endemic.

“We are also in touch with the National Disease Control Centre in Abuja and the World Health Organisation to come to our aid so that we can identify the disease and enable us to protect others”.

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