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By Faith Ijeh
Three people have been confirmed dead while three others have been hospitalised as cholera broke out in Oke-Gada area,Ede North Local Government Area of Osun State, on Monday.
According to reports, there was confusion in the area after the sudden death of beggars as some residents suspected food poisoning.
“About 12 beggars have been hospitalised after some of them died. It seems they are poisoned because we have never experienced such an issue in our community before,” a resident told The Nation
Another resident, identified as Dare, said: “I got to know about the issue on Monday evening, I learnt that some beggars took food from an unknown person and after that, some are dead while others were hospitalised.”
The spokesperson for Osun State Police Command, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, disputed the claim of food poisoning.
“The Divisional Police Officer,Ede division visited the Seriki Hausa in the community over the incident because they did not report the matter to the police. The Seriki informed him that it was a Cholera outbreak and not food poisoning.
“Three people are dead while three others are in the hospital. We are still investigating the matter,” Opalola said.