Patience Uzor’s grief was overwhelming as she recounted her son Emmanuel’s tragic demise. “The last thing he ate was Abacha. He was healthy, strong, and sound. Abacha has taken my only son from me,” she lamented. Emmanuel was declared dead on arrival at a hospital near Ajao Estate, Lagos, just hours after consuming the local delicacy.
Uzor shared her heartbreaking story with BusinessDay Weekender, revealing how Emmanuel and two of his friends had bought abacha from a vendor near Cele Bus Stop. Shortly after eating, all three began suffering from severe stomach discomfort.
“My son had called me on the phone to tell me he was having a stomach upset. The first question I asked him was what he ate, and he told me the last thing he ate was abacha, which he bought from some woman on his way from work. I told him to get some medications and watch if it subsides. This was in the evening around 7pm.
“Around 9pm, when I did not hear from him, I called him again (about three times) but he did not take my calls. I became worried. My son stays alone, so there was no way I could reach anyone around him to speak to him. So I called his best friend who lives on the street before his. His friend picked and told me he was with Emmanuel at a hospital around Ajao Estate.
“Hearing this, I became afraid. Surprisingly, his friend told me he (my son’s friend) and his cousin were also admitted at the same hospital. I asked him what the problem was with him and his cousin, and he said he ate the same abacha my son ate, and suspected that was the reason for the stomach upset. He told me he had driven to my son’s place to take him along to the hospital where the three of them were receiving treatment,” Uzor had explained.
She said about three hours later, her son called her and sounded very well, assuring her that he had fully recovered and would be going back home first thing in the morning, since it was already too late to go home that day.
Uzor said the next day her son called her to tell her he was home and had fully recovered and even sent her (Uzor) some money for her upkeep.
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She said she has enquired from her son about his friend and his friend’s cousin who were also admitted in the same hospital and he said his friend and his cousin were still at the hospital because the doctor had advised them against going home yet, as he (the doctor) needed to observe them for some time.
Anxious, Uzor said she quickly enquired from her son if the doctor had approved of him leaving the hospital and he reluctantly responded by saying ‘Not really’.
She said she had scolded her son for leaving the hospital without the doctor’s approval and had asked him to go back to the hospital the same day.
Uzor said she had called the son later in the afternoon to know if he had visited the hospital, and he told her he would do that when he was done with what he was doing as he was very busy.
Uzor said she was surprised to receive a call from Emmanuel fiancée saying she visited Emmanuel and met him stooling and vomiting. This was about four to five hours after she spoke to her son that day.
She said she pleaded with her son’s fiancée to quickly take him back to the hospital and that she would join them there immediately.
According to Uzor, Emmanuel’s fiancée managed to get an Uber that took them to the hospital.
She said Emmanuel was rejected by two hospitals they initially visited and by the time they got to the third hospital, he was declared dead on arrival.
Uzor’s experience is similar to many others who have lost loved ones over the consumption of abacha sold on the streets.
Chioma’s Experience at Ikoyi
The experience of Chioma Eze who narrowly escaped death is similar to that of Emmanuel. Eze had bought her own abacha around George Street, Ikoyi. She narrates her experience:
“One Monday evening around 5pm after work, I bought abacha and ate it inside the bus, on my way home. Everything seemed okay until the next morning around 7am; I started stooling. Then the stooling frequency increased. The frequency increased from every 30 minutes to 20 minutes to 10 minutes. Then it got to a point that it was every two minutes. At a point, I was dehydrated.
“So, I managed to go to the hospital. I explained to the doctor what was happening to me, and he gave me medications and said I can go home. I took the medications and things got from bad to worse. I was stooling and vomiting. I went back to the hospital and then it was another doctor I met.
“I complained to him and told him I wasn’t satisfied with the drugs the former doctor had recommended. He said they had to administer an Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and before they could prepare bed for me, I was already very weak. My mum came to stay with me. She wasn’t satisfied with the treatment and asked them what better medication can be given to me.
“One of the doctors called my mum aside and told her that the reason they were not attending to me well was because I was using the Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) and if we wanted a better treatment, then we need to pay for the treatment. He said HMO cannot cover for this kind of treatment.
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“So, we deposited N100,000 and treatment started in full force. They gave us various types of fluid. I spent about five days in the hospital before I was discharged. Then, the vomiting and stooling had stopped. After the initial N100,000, I was asked to pay another N400,000. I paid N500,000 in all because I got food poisoning from an abacha that I bought,” Eze said.
Eze said if she hadn’t visited the hospital that day, the unfortunate situation may have caused her life.
Life lost at Tradefair
Peter Aloba told Weekender that his neighbour at his shop in Aspanda, Tradefair Lagos died few hours after eating abacha he bought in Aspanda.
“I lost my neighbour (name withheld) at Aspanda. He had come to work like every other person and a few hours after he bought and ate abacha, he started to feel some discomfort.
“He left for home earlier than usual and every other thing that happened afterwards was not clear to me. The next day, we heard he had died the night before after vomiting and stooling consistently,” Aloba said.
Abacha is a type of food originating with the Igbos in the south eastern part of Nigeria. Abacha is a product of cassava tubers. When the processing is done from scratch, harvested cassava is obtained, peeled, washed, cooked and sliced into desired sizes or shapes. It is soaked in a bowl for a day.
It could be prepared instantly as abacha or sun-dried for future use. shredded dried cassava first needs to be softened by soaking in boiled water and covered up for a few minutes.
Optional supplementary ingredients, which are added with varying degrees of frequency and often represent regionally-derived variations, include, but are probably not limited to, ogiri; ugba/ukpaka; oporo (large dried shrimp); fried fish; dry fish; coloured peppers; seasoning cubes; ehuru/ehulu (commonly shortened to and called ehu. in normal speech); pepper (e.g., scotch-bonnet); onions; utazi; garden eggs (and/or the leaves); ukazi leaves; akidi-beans (marked variant); kpomo/kanda (cow-skin); ukwa (possibly unique to the Ikwerre); et-cetera.
Palm oil, which in theory may either be red or a combination of red and bleached, is curdled using either kaun/potash, ngu (a more traditional version of contemporarily-conventional potash) or baking soda and the abacha slices are then mixed in the curdled oil.
Potash and its health Implications
Apart from the hygiene level of people who prepare and sell abacha, health experts have raised concerns over the health effects of the potash used.
Potash is also known as Kaun (Yoruba), Akanwa (Igbo) or Kanwa (Hausa) is a lake salt (sodium bicarbonate) that is very dry and hydrated in nature.
Funmbi Olatayo, a certified nutritionist told BD Weekender that there are some implications of using potash especially when there are high quantities of potash used but there are safer practices to ensure this does not result in debilitating effects.
Olatayo said that when potash are consumed in large quantities, they can alter the natural pH of the stomach and disrupt digestion, leading to discomfort, bloating, nausea, or even gastrointestinal distress.
“High potash intake can also cause an imbalance in electrolytes (particularly potassium levels) which can affect kidney function, hereby giving rise to symptoms such as dizziness, severe stomach discomfort or, in severe cases, hospitalization.
“Some individuals are more sensitive to potash, especially if they have pre-existing kidney issues or electrolyte disorders. Consuming meals with excessive potash can worsen these conditions, possibly contributing to the recent cases of hospitalisation,” she said.
Olatayo said in light of recent concerns about abacha and related health problems, it is important to understand how to safely prepare and enjoy this dish without compromising your health.
She enumerated some safe practices for preparing abacha:
Use Potash Sparingly: The first rule for safe Abacha preparation is moderation. It is best to reduce the use of potash to a minimal quantity. If possible, substitute with less alkaline ingredients like edible lime (Nchuanwu) which offers a similar texture effect with a gentler impact on the body. When using potash, use it sparingly, and rinse the cassava thoroughly after soaking to remove excess residues.
Source for fresh, clean ingredients: One often overlooked aspect of preparing Abacha is ingredient quality. It is vital to ensure that the cassava and other ingredients like garden eggs, ugba (fermented oil bean), and vegetables are fresh and well-cleaned, making sure that the soaked cassava is stored in a clean environment without being left out in the open for too long to prevent microbial growth and contamination.
Balanced Ingredients for a Healthier meal: To improve the nutritional content and quality of Abacha, all ingredients must be well balanced to provide a rich supply of essential nutrients. This can be done by pairing it with lots of fresh vegetables like garden eggs, onions, Utazi leaves (Gongronema latifolium), and Uziza (Piper guineense) leaves to mention a few.
Additionally, adding good sources of protein, such as fish, crayfish, or beans makes the dish not only nutritionally balanced but also more wholesome.
This increases the vitamin, mineral, and protein content, reducing the need to consume large quantities of cassava, which could otherwise contribute to issues like bloating or carbohydrate overload.
Food Hygiene and Storage: Like many other cassava-based dishes, Abacha can become unsafe if stored in improper conditions. While there is insufficient knowledge and awareness as regards the transmission of food – borne illness and how they are transmitted among food handlers, some studies have shown that cassava can harbor toxins when it is improperly handled or processed, especially if it has been exposed to bacteria or not stored hygienically.
After soaking the cassava slices, avoid leaving them in the open air for too long, as this could promote bacterial growth. The food should be prepared in a clean environment and eaten soon after preparation. Proper storage of leftovers is also crucial as any uneaten portions should be refrigerated immediately to avoid spoilage.
For individuals with specific health conditions, such as kidney disease, high blood pressure, or gastrointestinal disorders, it is advisable to either avoid potash entirely or consult a nutritionist, registered dietitian or a healthcare professional before consuming it.
Potash can exacerbate these conditions by putting extra strain on the kidneys or disrupting blood pressure levels due to its impact on potassium levels.
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