Pastor Ignatius Ikeze shares with AYOOLA OLASUPO how he lost five members of his family: brother, his wife, and their three children in what he suspects was a case of food poisoning tied to a long-standing land dispute

Can you describe your relationship with the deceased family members?

Barnabas was my brother, and we both belong to the Umuaneke Kindred of Akpani Neke in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.

How did you feel losing five members of your family on the same day?

It was a tragedy beyond words, one that no one ever prays to experience. My late brother was someone I could not do without, and the same was true for him. We were deeply bonded. I loved him so much. By the grace of God, I am only just regaining myself. The pain was unbearable. Truly, it is God’s grace that has been sustaining me.

There was a rumour that the deceased persons were poisoned. Can you shed more light on this?

Yes, it is true. The roots of this tragedy stretch back several years, to the time our father passed away. In the wake of his death, some individuals conspired to seize his land, but we stood our ground. Ultimately, we won the case, and the Igwe of Neke, along with his cabinet, declared that the land rightfully belonged to our father. Yet, a faction of people swore that, over their dead bodies, would we inherit that land. They vowed to wipe us out, and ever since, they have haunted us with acts of terror. The incident on August 30 is just the latest, and painfully a stark chapter in this ongoing saga.

I had just returned from the International Ministers’ Training Fire Conference in Abuja, where I had spent a week. When I got home at about 9 p.m., I was told that my brother and his family had been rushed to a hospital in a neighbouring town. I wanted to go immediately, but people held me back and advised me to wait until morning.

When I finally arrived the next day, I met my brother, his wife, and two of their children dead. I was told that two others had already died, and their corpses were in the mortuary. Later that evening, one of my sisters, who had been caring for them at the hospital, told me that a man who had long threatened us swore once again to wipe out our family. In fact, just a week before, during a family meeting in the village, my brother said the same man openly vowed to kill him.

Was the man threatening your brother also one of your family members?

He is part of a particular kindred but not a direct member of my immediate family. The kindred is made up of several different families.

How many children did your late brother have altogether?

My brother had six children. The family consisted of eight – himself, his wife, and their six children. On that day, one of the children was staying with our elder sister, and another was living elsewhere. Four of the children who were at home that night ate the poisoned food.

How many of them died?

They were five in number: my brother, his wife, and three of their children.

Only one child escaped?

Yes, only one child survived. My sister told me that the accused man came to the hospital and tried to distract her so she would step outside, but she refused. She said the man and his companion left the ward angrily. She narrated this to me when I returned that evening, and that was when I began to suspect something was wrong.

Initially, I had planned to go home and rest, since there were many women already attending to the children at the hospital. But after the earlier incident, I decided to stay overnight with my sisters. Around 9 p.m., a nurse came in and said the children were not meant to be in the same ward with their parents.

She claimed to have prepared another room for them. Trusting her judgment, we allowed the transfer.

One of the women carried a child who had already recovered and was even eating groundnuts. Earlier, my brother, his wife, and the rest of us had shared a meal with the children, and nothing untoward had happened.

Only one child remained on oxygen. Later, the nurse returned to move the remaining child and the woman caring for him.

At some point, I became uneasy, and I asked myself, “Why am I here while my brother and his wife are alone?” I returned to their ward, and what I saw froze me.

The nurse was removing the oxygen from my brother’s wife and injecting something into her mouth. My phone was off at the time; otherwise, I would have recorded it. Shocked, I screamed, “Nurse, what are you doing? Nurse, what are you doing?” At that moment, she began to tremble.

I rushed to hold my brother’s wife, but it was too late; she died on the spot. I kept screaming and followed the nurse as she hurried out of the ward.

Confused and desperate, I quickly took a motorcycle back to our town, since the hospital was in a neighbouring village. I informed a pastor, and together we went straight to the divisional police headquarters that same night to report what had happened. The police took our statements and followed us to arrest the nurse. They also assured us that the other man accused would be arrested the next morning.

By the time I returned the next day, another child had died, and my brother also passed away shortly after. That was how all five of them were gone. Only one son survived because he had been in another part of the room at the time.

I carried him immediately to another hospital. After thorough checks and treatment, he pulled through by God’s grace. He is with us now.

Is it true the nurse has been released?

That is what I don’t understand. At the State Criminal and Investigation Department, I was told she would be brought in the next day for questioning. She later arrived with her husband and the hospital’s doctor. The doctor pleaded with me not to pursue the case, saying he had tried his best to save lives and that the nurse “didn’t know what she was doing.” He even asked me to tell the police I didn’t want a case against her, but I refused.

I insisted that I saw her with my own eyes. The doctor argued that the nurse could not be separated from the hospital and that pressing charges would damage the hospital’s reputation. Still, I stood my ground. At the police station, she denied everything, claiming she never went back into the ward and that we were all there together. But I reminded her that she was leaving the room when I started shouting and running after her.

The police then said an autopsy was necessary to establish the truth. After that, the suspects were released.

What food did they eat that led to the tragedy?

They ate alibo, a locally prepared cassava dish, similar to semovita.

Did the police take samples of the food for testing?

Yes. The hospital collected samples and handed them over to the State CID.

Nothing has been discovered so far. We are still waiting for the autopsy to be carried out. We have already paid the doctor, but it has not yet been carried out.

Have they been buried?

No. Their corpses are still in the mortuary.

Can you tell us their ages?

My brother, Barnabas Ikeze, was 48 years old. His wife, Angela, was 38. Their only daughter, Gift, was 11. Divine was six, and Victor was just three.

Has any government authority reached out to your family on the matter?

No one has reached out. Even the autopsy we are struggling to conduct has been left entirely to us. The trauma is unbearable for the family.

Is the nurse in custody or on bail?

We want the government to intervene so that justice can be served. The nurse and others arrested are already making suspicious moves. The government must ensure a thorough investigation and fair judgment.

Are you saying that the suspects tried to bribe the police?

Yes, but the police rejected it. We heard they attempted to secure bail even while in CID custody. A lawyer came, but the police refused. We are pleading with the police to keep doing their job and not allow corruption to derail the case.

Do you trust that the police will deliver justice?

I can’t say for sure, because I don’t have any powerful connections. That is why I am appealing to the government, especially the Enugu State government, to intervene. They should interrogate the nurse thoroughly. I believe the truth will come out once the autopsy is carried out and the police remain committed to their duty. (Saturday PUNCH)