By Ado Oyeyemi
An 18-year-old Almajiri student, Auwalu Surajo, has recounted how he narrowly escaped death after refusing to continue eating a fish suspected to have caused the deaths of four of his colleagues in Kano State.
Surajo, who is currently receiving medical treatment, reportedly stopped eating after noticing that the fish had an unusual taste.
The incident occurred at a Tsangaya school in Kadage Sharifai, Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State, where the students were learning and memorising the Qur’an.
Four students — Abdulfatah Mohammed, 15; Yusuf Nuhu, 16; Buhari Iliyasu, 14; and Ibrahim Muhammad, 22 — reportedly died after falling critically ill following the meal.
Recounting the incident, Surajo Unguwar Gareji, a friend of one of the deceased students, said the fish was brought out at about 7am and some of the students started eating.
“I tasted the fish but immediately stopped eating because it did not taste normal,” he said.
Another student, Malam Umar, reportedly made a similar decision after suspecting that the food was unsafe and declined to eat it.
Shortly afterwards, the students who had consumed the fish reportedly became seriously ill, with some losing consciousness.
The school authorities were alerted and the affected students were rushed to hospital. Despite efforts by medical personnel, four of them were later pronounced dead at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.
The National Chairman of the Tsangaya Media Network, Gwani Sani Musa Nuhu, confirmed that the four students died on Sunday night, August 16.
The cause of the suspected poisoning remained under investigation. However, residents said one of the deceased, Abdulfatah, reportedly found the fish beneath a chair while carrying out domestic chores at a nearby residence.
The fish was allegedly taken outside and shared with other students, who were unaware that it might have been contaminated.
The owner of the Tsangaya school, Gwani Malam Iliyasu, described the deaths as a devastating tragedy, disclosing that his son and nephew were among those who died.
“Among the deceased, one was my son, and another was my brother’s son. Two others were sons of my friends,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Police Command has launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa, said the deceased students were from Sule Tankarkar Local Government Area of Jigawa State and had travelled to Kano for Qur’anic studies.
A medical doctor, Dr Usman Abdullahi Nagogo, advised anyone who develops symptoms after eating suspected contaminated food to seek urgent medical attention and avoid unverified home remedies.
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He said symptoms of food poisoning could include vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever and weakness, stressing that prompt medical intervention could improve the chances of survival.
