Four people from Kashimbila Ward in Takum Local Government Area, Taraba State, have died, and two others are receiving medical treatment after consuming a meal made with suspected poisonous fish.
The incident occurred at the weekend near the Kashimbila Multi-Purpose Dam.
The victims, Fulani herders identified as Abdul Juli, Sule Abubakar, Adamu Mato, Saidu Payo, Yusuf Musa, and Ibrahim Haruna, were grazing their cattle when they found an abandoned fish at the bank of the Kashimbila River.
Unaware that the fish was poisonous, they cooked it and ate it.
In a statement, according to LEADERSHIP, Hon. John Ali, the chairman of Takum Local Government Area, expressed alarm over the deaths, explaining that the herders were unable to distinguish between edible and toxic fish.
“Due to a lack of knowledge, they cooked and ate the poisonous fish, resulting in the death of four individuals,” Ali said. He further explained that the fish involved, known locally as “Frog Fish,” is toxic, with even other fish in the river avoiding it.
Ali confirmed that four of the six herders who consumed the fish died immediately, while the other two, Yusuf Musa and Ibrahim Haruna, are being treated in an undisclosed hospital in Takum. The chairman expressed his intention to visit the village to assess the situation firsthand after the interview.
