Benue: Four Siblings Die After Allegedly Drinking Soft Drink Given to Them by Relative

Four siblings have reportedly died in Amufu community, Edumoga, Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, after they allegedly fell ill days after consuming a soft drink given to them by a relative.

The children, aged 12, seven, five and three, reportedly died last week, leaving their family and the community in mourning. The circumstances surrounding their deaths remain unclear.

Popular Idoma activist, Meddy Olotu, brought the incident to public attention in a video shared on Facebook. In the video, the father of the deceased children alleged that the siblings became sick after sharing a bottle of soft drink reportedly given to them by an uncle identified as Anthony Adam.

The grieving father said he was away from home when Adam allegedly gave the drink to the children and only learnt of what happened after returning. He said the children began falling ill two to three days later, prompting him to take them for medical attention.

He recounted that while he was moving between the hospital and home to arrange care for the children, their condition deteriorated rapidly. He alleged that three of the children died by the following morning, while his eldest son died later that day.

The father also said Adam and his son had denied any knowledge of what caused the children’s deaths. A separate video circulating online reportedly showed community youths taking Adam away after the incident.

The allegations have not been independently verified, and it remains unclear what caused the children’s deaths. Establishing the cause would require appropriate medical and investigative findings.

Efforts to obtain a comment from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report. The circumstances surrounding the deaths are therefore expected to be subject to further investigation by the relevant authorities.