Seven members of an extended family of 12 in Obinze Community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State on Monday, were found dead mysteriously in their home.
Five others who are unconscious are still battling for their lives.
The 12 members of the family were discovered unconscious in their apartment in a duplex that had six rooms at Obinze.
An eyewitness said wailing community members rushed the victims to a nearby hospital.
It was learned that before they could get to the Imo State Specialist Hospital, Umuguma- Owerri, seven out of the 12 victims were confirmed dead while doctors and nurses were battling to save the lives of the five others.
Among the victims are Chief Driver of the Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Uche Onyeagucha for Owerri zone identified as Kingsley said to be in his late 40s.
Kingsley’s wife and two year old daughter also died.
His two other children and four relatives of his wife.
The hospital management especially doctors and nurses are working frantically to save the lives of the victims who are on life-support machines.
According to them, the cause of the incident is still strange to the family and the community.
“The head of the family is the chief driver of Uche Onyeagucha, the PDP senatorial candidate for Owerri zone. His name is Kingsley. He was supposed to drive his boss to the Sam Mbakwe airport this morning but he didn’t pick up his phone calls. His boss also called his wife but no response.
“Uche Onyeagucha then sent his personal assistant to his house. On arrival, nobody opened the gate after all the knocks on the gate. Somebody now scaled the fence and gained access into the compound.
“Doors were forced open only to discover that the 12 of them were locked in a room. They were all unconscious. An alarm was raised and people gathered.
“There were rushed to this hospital where five including the head of the family were confirmed dead. Others are on life support machines. We pray that they make it so that they will tell the story of what really happened.
“The 12 of them included the Chief driver and his family, siblings and children of his wife who came on a visit. The most painful is the death of the two-year-old child. What did that innocent child do? We suspect foul play.” The family source said
the Imo State Police Command, Police Spokesperson, Micheal Abattam, said the incident had not been reported to the police.
But Hon Onyeagucha confirmed the development on the telephone to the Network.
However, he could not say exactly what caused the death of his driver and the others.
