West Region: 3 Siblings Die after Eating Poisoned Rice, About 17 Others Admitted in Hospital

It was at about 8pm on Thursday, June 21, 2018, that a distress family arrived at the premises of the Foumban District Hospital in tears.  The women, most of them holding babies and children in their arms looked totally depressed and physically worn out after a shocking incident hit their family. According to sources, some kids of that family had consumed rice that was cooked by one of the wives of that polygamous home. On the spot, were a total of about twenty children that had been admitted in the pediatric ward of the said hospital. Despite placing the 20 children under intensive care, three of them still gave up the ghost. The names of the deceased are Ousnim 1 year, Naima 4 years and Charifa 6 years. TCR gathered that all three children are of the same mother who reportedly prepared rice for their father, her husband.

The children died on Friday June 22, 2018 at about 7am, not long after they were rushed to hospital. The mother of the children, who could not bear the mishap, fainted at the hospital.

Several inhabitants of Foumban stormed the hospital to witness the tragedy that according to popular opinion was rare to come by. The three victims were reportedly buried in their family compound in Koupa Kagnam village on Friday, June 22, 2018 in a very emotional atmosphere.

TCR gathered that one of the wives of the polygamous family prepared rice on Thursday June 21, 2018, and then left for shopping. Taking advantage of her absence, someone entered her room and dropped poison inside the food that was cooked for her husband. And instead of serving the food for her husband as initially intended, the lady then gave the food to her children because she had received information that her husband was not going to return home that evening. So, 1 year old boy Ousnim, Naïma 4 year old and Charifa 6 years old, all ate the food alongside the children of the other wives as well as those of their relatives that were on holiday.

According to our source, a total of more than twenty children consumed the poisoned rice in that family. At press time, the person responsible for poisoning the food had yet to be uncovered. Meanwhile, an investigation has been opened into the tragedy by forces of law and order. TCR has also learnt from sources close to the story that co-wives of the lady that prepared the food are amongst those highly suspected of dropping the poison into the food.