A strange illness has reportedly claimed the lives of four people in the rural community of Oye-Obi in Obi Local Government Area of Benue State.

Mr Andyson Egbodo, the new President of Igede National Youths Council, disclosed this to newsmen on Wednesday in Makurdi.


Egbodo gave the names of the deceased as Happiness Ogbu, Onah Ogbedu, Andy Edu and Wisdom Agwo.

According to Egbodo, the victims developed the same symptoms of headache, vomiting, internal heat, stomach ache, weakness of the body and swollen stomach.

“They developed the same symptoms of headache, internal heat, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach ache, weakness of the body and swollen stomach and died alike.

“Our investigation revealed the health authorities in Oju have been briefed. The Igede National Youths Council is calling on the Benue State Government to, as a matter of urgency, do all within its powers to arrest the situation.

“We are not resting on our part in the area of mass mobilisation and awareness campaign on how to prevent its spread.

“Our investigation reveals that about six more persons as at today, Wednesday, 29 January 2020 are already down developing the same symptoms, some of them have already been moved to the General Hospital, Oju”, he said.

The state Commissioner for Health and Human Resources, Hon. Ongbabo Elaigwu Sunday, confirmed the outbreak.

He said: “It is true that the sickness has affected the people and the state government has deployed the state focal person and a team of medical experts to the area to help contain the situation. We are thinking of Lassa fever but also thinking of a strange disease. Some persons have also died of the disease.”