Seven wedding guests in Kano State have been reported dead while several others have been hospitalized after drinking tea allegedly prepared with a local leaf popularly known as Zakami which contains a psychoactive substance.
OsunDaily News learnt that the incident happened on Tuesday in Sheka area of Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.
According to PUNCH, an eyewitness and elder brother to the bride, Sanusi Yahaya said it had become a norm for young people in the area, especially drug addicts, to cook tea during ceremonies.
Yahaya said, “They cooked the tea and they themselves didn’t even know the number and types of drugs that were inside to the extent that some had to abandon it. But some of them insisted that they must drink from the tea, saying that their brains can take it.
“After drinking the tea, two people died, some have recovered while others are hospitalised”
Another witness, Abdullahi Muhammad, said as of Tuesday seven people had died and some of those hospitalised were not from the area but were just passing by and decided to drink from the tea.
He said, “We don’t know the exact number for now, but in the morning seven were confirmed dead. Some of them were not even invited to the wedding, they just came to disguise and take their drugs”
Reacting, the state Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna said the command and the Divisional Police Officer in the area were yet to receive any report of the incident even though they are aware.
He, however, promised to contact the Village Head for details of the incident adding only one person was said to have lost his life after drinking the killer tea.
He said, “Even though we heard about the incident but up till now nobody reported it to the DPO or the State command”
