Man dies after allegedly eating porridge

Denyasefookrom (Ash), May 19, GNA - The Asante-Bekwai police is investigating a case in which a 57-year-old farmer is said to have died after eating porridge prepared by his wife from corn dough.

Briefing the GNA, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kankam Boadu, the District Police Commander, said on May 8, at Denyasefookrom in the Amansie East District of Ashanti, the deceased, Opanin Owusu Afriyie, started vomiting uncontrollably after allegedly taking a meal of maize porridge (koko), prepared by Madam Theresa Owusu, his wife. He was then rushed to the Bekwai Government Hospital, where he was admitted and died later the same day.

ASP Boadu said two of the deceased sons also after taking a meal of palm nut soup and 'banku' said to have been prepared from the same corn dough by their mother, Theresa, started vomiting as well.

Kofi Emmanuel, 24, and Alex Owusu, 17, were also rushed to the hospital and have since been treated and discharged. The wife, when interrogated by the police as to why she did not eat some of the food she prepared, said she is diabetic and had to wait 30 minutes after taking her drugs before eating. Madam Owusu said she forgot all about the food, when her husband was suddenly taken ill and was rushed to the hospital.

Meanwhile, samples of the corn dough, the porridge and the 'banku', as well as the palm nut soup have been sent to the forensic laboratory for test.