A heartbreaking incident unfolded in the Akpani Neke Autonomous community within Isi-Uzo Local Government Area, Enugu State, where five members of a single family tragically lost their lives due to suspected food poisoning.
Pastor Ignatius Ikeze, a resident of Neke Akpani, shared with reporters on Thursday, September 11, 2025, that the victims were his younger brother, Barnabas Ikechukwu Ikeze, Barnabas’s wife Angela, and their three children: Divine, Gift, and Victor.
According to Pastor Ikeze, the unfortunate event occurred between August 30 and 31, 2025, shortly after a man in the community reportedly threatened to eliminate the entire family.
Pastor Ikeze explained that he had been attending a conference in Abuja and only returned on Saturday, August 30, when he was informed of the tragedy. The family had eaten their evening meal on August 29, but by the next morning, they were all suffering from intense abdominal pain.
Due to the absence of a functional healthcare facility in Neke Town and its environs, neighbors and relatives rushed the family to FaithLand Clinic located in Ikem, the headquarters of Isi-Uzo LGA. Sadly, during the journey, their daughter Divine passed away, and Gift died upon arrival at the hospital, leaving four family members still alive: Barnabas, Angela, and their sons Marvellous and Victor.
Tragically, by Sunday night, the remaining four also succumbed, with only the eldest son, Marvellous, surviving the ordeal.
“When I visited the hospital on August 31, I found my brother, his wife, and two sons still alive. I also saw the two children who had died in the mortuary,” Pastor Ikeze recounted. “It was said that the food they ate on Friday night was poisoned. By Saturday morning, they all experienced severe stomach cramps and were rushed to the hospital, where two died immediately. The remaining four were admitted, and I bought food for them as they recovered. Although my sister-in-law was on oxygen, she was responsive.”
He further revealed that a week before the incident, during a clan meeting, a man had openly threatened to harm his brother’s family over a land dispute that the family had won. This individual allegedly vowed to wipe out the entire family, viewing Barnabas as a threat.
“My sister told me that this man even came to the hospital to check if the family members were dead. He stood at the door, and a nurse tried to distract my sister, but she refused. The man left with the nurse and another young man,” Pastor Ikeze said tearfully.
Determined to protect his family, Pastor Ikeze stayed at the hospital overnight with two of his sisters. Around 9 to 10 pm, a nurse informed them that the children could not remain in the same ward as their parents and moved them to another room. Shortly after, Pastor Ikeze witnessed the nurse removing the oxygen from his sister-in-law’s nose and placing something in her mouth. He confronted her, but his phone had no power to record the incident.
“The police promised to arrest the nurse immediately and to detain the man who threatened my brother. However, before we could return from the police station, my brother and his youngest son, who had been recovering, both died,” he lamented.
Marvellous, the eldest son, was taken in by a woman at the hospital and remains the sole survivor.
“I took Marvellous to Enugu in the early hours of Monday and went to ESUT Parklane Teaching Hospital, but there was no doctor available at the emergency unit. I was advised to visit Niger Foundation Specialist Hospital, where he was examined and given medication. The next day, they referred us to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital for further tests. My focus was solely on saving Marvellous,” Pastor Ikeze explained.
He added that the police later apprehended the main suspect and brought him to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), but the nurse was initially released at Ikem Police Station. The following day, the nurse appeared at SCID accompanied by her husband and the hospital’s doctor, who reportedly urged Pastor Ikeze not to pursue the case and to let the matter rest.
“But the souls of my brother and his family will not find peace without justice. I am calling on the Enugu State Government to ensure that justice is served for my brother, his wife, and their three children. They deserve nothing less,” he concluded.
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