The Gombe State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru has warned Cassava farmers in the state to stop selling Cassava with high content of hydrogen cyanide for popular consumption.
The advisory comes after one person has reportedly died after consuming boiled cassava in the state.
In a public advisory released by the Ministry of Health on Cassava Consumption in the state, the Commissioner revealed that one person has died and several others hospitalized.
The statement read: “On the 1st of August, my team at the PHEOC received a report of about 6 persons from Madaki Quarters here in the metropolis who were presented to the hospital with abdominal pains, diarrhea and vomiting after eating boiled Cassava, and one person died. Also, 5 children from another family in state low cost were presented to another hospital with the same complaints.”
The Commissioner said the food poisoning was as a result of high amounts of cyanide in a particular breed of the food stable known as ‘bakin rogo’.
“The Hon. Commissioner called on Cassava farmers and buyers to ensure they sell only sweet cassava, popularly known as farin rogo, which has less than 50mg/kg of hydrogen cyanide and avoid the bitter variety (bakin rogo), which contains huge amounts (400 mg/kg) of cyanide,” It added.
While calling on farmers and consumers to only patronize ‘farin rogo’ which contains a lesser amount of cyanide, Dr Dahiru confirmed that sensitisation has commenced in cassava producing communities in the state including Tumu, Futuk among others.
