Father who lost all 4 children after meal of ‘suya and juice,’ appeals for help, as APC calls incident ’a tragedy’

[From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia]

Plans have reached advanced stage to bury the four children who died after allegedly eating barbecued beef (popularly known as suya) and fruit juice, Saturday, September 18, 2021.

Father of the late children, Mr. Chibuzor Ikwunze, who revealed this to The Oracle Today in his Umuagua Village in Ohuhu, Umuahia North Local Government Area, has appealed to the Abia government to assist him to bury the children.

Kelechi Chibuzor (male) 12 years; Chimdi Chibuzor (male) 10 years; Oluoma Chi Chibuzor (female) eight years and Kingsley Chibuzor (male) three years, the entire children of Mr Chibuzor and Mrs. Amarachi Ikwunze of Umukonu Umuagu Ohuhu all died on August 25, 2021 at Umueze, a suburb of Umuahia, Abia State capital, after eating the said suya and fruit juice, in company of their host family which lost their father and two children also.

At the time of the unfortunate incident, the children were spending their holidays with the John Ogba family, a long-standing family friend of the Ikwunzes.

Ikwunze said Thursday that he was running round to get Police clearance to be able to access the bodies of his children and said their remains would be interred tomorrow.

“When the incident happened, the state government went on radio and said they are going to do an autopsy. I want them to assist me bury my children,” Mr. Ikwunze said.

He said the death of all his children has left him and his wife sad and depressed. “I feel bad. I feel bad,” he said, adding “for somebody to lose up to four children in one fell swoop, it is a big tragedy.”

“Since the unfortunate incident, whenever I go out and come back, I don’t have any other child to welcome me and call me daddy again. That is how my children always crowd around me to welcome me each time I come home. But now, all that has changed. We are desolate and heartbroken,” he added.

The self-employed technician therefore appealed to the government to come to his aid as he buries his children. “I am appealing to the government to come and help me in this situation; I want the government to assist me to bury my children,” he said.

Meanwhile, reacting to the incident, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the death of the four children of Mr and Mrs Chibuzor Ikwunze of Umukonu village in Ohuhu, Umuahia North local government area of Abia State as a tragedy and great loss.

The children died last month after allegedly eating barbecue and fruit juice in Umueze, a suburb of Umuahia where they had gone on holidays. Their host, John Ogba and his two children who also partook in eating of the suya and juice, died with two of his own children, bringing to seven, the number of people that died after the meal.

Speaking Thursday, when a delegation of officials of Umuahia North APC led by Elder Ekwuribe Iheanyi, paid a condolence visit to the family, the party,  advised the partyenjoined the couple to remain steadfast in trusting God and urged them to be of good courage.

Elder Iheanyi, who is the Chairman of APC, Umuahia North, said the party came to identify with the couple.

“We are here to encourage you. We urge you to take solace in the experiences of Biblical Job and Evangelist Uma Ukpai who suffered similar fate but were afterwards prospered by God, even with children,” Ekwuribe said.

Also, an APC stakeholder, Obilo Ogbonna, told the couple that the visit was a demonstration of the APC family spirit.

“I believe firmly that there are reasons and these reasons, you may not know, it is only in retrospect you will know and you will have cause to smile again, you will have cause to say Jehovah was this your plan, we thank You.

“If He can take your happiness away, He has something in store for you, prepare, make yourself ready. But I know it is painful. There is nothing much more we can say to you to pacify you; to placate you; to bring back the noise and happiness that used to be in this house; but He who created you, who knows better than all of us, has said let His children come back to Him. He has a plan for you. He will give back to you.

 “On behalf of the party and our Leader, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, we condole with you. May God give you the fortitude to bear this grave incident,” Ogbonna said.

Abia State APC Youth leader, Hon. Ikenna Anyalewechi, described the incident as very painful and rude extinguishing of  the light of the affected family, enough to wreck a family but enjoined the couple to encourage themselves in the Lord and prayed for a brighter future for the family.

Receiving the guests on behalf of the family, the Organizing Secretary of APC in Umuahia North, Chief Chukwudi Nkemakolam, and a prominent indigene of Umuagu Ohuhu, Chief Patrick Nwabuisi Emelike, thanked the delegation for identifying with the family in their moment of grief.

“We thank you for identifying with us in our moment of grief. Your visit has given us hope and succour. What you have done is in line with the APC character and also that of our leader, Chief Ikechi Emenike, one who is very sensitive to all our plights,” Nkemakolam said.

The Secretary of APC, Umuahia North, Dr Okey Nwankwo and Umuhu Ward Chairman, Chief Iheanacho Chijioke (a.k.a Mgbenile Ekeoba), among others, were in the Umuahia North APC delegation.