The Enugu State government has refuted stories trending on social media that killer beans were being sold in some markets in the state, describing the report as false.
The Government also described as false and malicious, the video and voice note trending on social media, alleging that three children died after consuming “poisonous beans” purchased in one of the markets in Enugu and prepared by their mothers.
Dr. Reuben Onyishi, Senior Special Assistant to the state governor on New Media made this known while briefing newsmen in Enugu. Onyishi said a government delegation visited the mother of the children, who denied the allegation, saying they had not cooked beans in a long while. Onyishi said the essence of the briefing was to refute the report.
He said: “The essence of this press briefing is to refute various stories about the death of three persons in the state who were alleged to have eaten poisonous beans. So, the social media is awash with reactions from a trending story that beans currently sold at various markets in Enugu state may have been poisoned following the death of three children, after allegedly consuming the said beans.
“So, because of this, we carried out an investigation aimed at uncovering the facts of the case as well as refuting the allegation and dissuading the minds of the public from further spread of the story.
“So, this story that has been making the rounds in the social media are false from the investigation we carried out. That is why it is important we inform the Public. There is no poison beans in Enugu”, he said.
According to Onyishi, on 24th September, they went into investigation at the family residence of the mother of the deceased located at Zone One, Akwuke behind 103 Battalion military barracks in Enugu state and during the interview, the mother identified as Angela Egbo, female, an indigene of Nenwe in Aninri Local Government and proprietress. of Elohim Gaddon schools, Akwuke, disclosed that her children, Chiemerie Victor Egbo (14) Uchechukwu Ruth Egbo, female, age 17, Chinencherm Janeth Onu, aged 22, did not die of food or beans poisoning and the family had not consumed beans in a long while.
“So, the Egbos further narrated how their children took ill and were further taken to Mother of Christ,Enugu and UNTH, Ituku Ozalla in Nkanu West Local Government for medical attention, adding that from numerous laboratory tests conducted, no trace of food poison was attributed as the cause of the death..
“Angela stated that her children were already buried and the video making rounds on social media was false, and misleading. She equally debunked the idea of the involvement of anybody in the death, noting that they live in a well-secured family house and had cordial relations with their neighbours.
Onyishi urged members of the public to disregard the malicious story, saying, “there is no killer beans in Enugu.”
