Five individuals have died after consuming a meal during a ‘Love Feast’—also known as Ipese—organized by the Celestial Church of Christ at the Apata Iye parish in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Several other attendees are currently receiving treatment at the Infectious Disease Centre in Olodo, located in the Egbeda Local Government Area.
The incident took place last Sunday on the church premises in Apata, Ido Local Government Area.
A church insider, who wished to remain anonymous, told Punch that it has not yet been determined whether the Ipese meal was the cause of the deaths.
“I ate the same beans as everyone else, including the victims, and nothing happened to me. It’s unclear if the incident is related to the Ipese, as some people are claiming. Various government agencies, including the police, DSS, media representatives, and even the World Health Organization, have been here to investigate. Their findings haven’t been released yet, but I assure you it’s not about the Ipese,” the source said.
An official at the Infectious Disease Centre, who also spoke anonymously, mentioned that 50 of the victims brought to the center have been treated and discharged.
“Some of the affected individuals were brought here for treatment. So far, 50 have been discharged, while others are still receiving care,” the official stated.
Adewale Osifeso, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, confirmed the incident and stated that investigations are ongoing.
Meanwhile, church leader Prophet Akin Kilanko, in a statement to a local radio station, asserted that the incident is unrelated to rituals and has instead been attributed to a cholera outbreak.
