Tragedy strikes as 5 children wiped off in Anambra, father weeps

A Father’s Agony — Tragedy in Ogidi

From laughter to silence, from joy to grief—Ogidi weeps for its lost children.

A devastating tragedy has befallen the family of Pa Robinson Arinze Aghalu, a 79-year-old retired soldier and father from Ogidi, in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

In a space of just 72 heartbreaking hours, a once lively household lost five of its six children, leaving a trail of sorrow, unanswered questions.

It has also left scars on a father now clinging to what remains of his world: one critically ill wife and a surviving daughter.

What began as a peaceful Saturday evening on May 3, 2025, echoing with the laughter of children, soon spiraled into a nightmare no parent should ever have to endure.

A Scene of Unspeakable Grief

When Diaspora Digital Media (DDM), led by Elder Chekwube Okwuonu, arrived at the home of Pa Arinze, the air was thick with sorrow.

Grief hung heavy over the compound like a storm cloud refusing to pass.

Friends and relatives stood around in stunned silence.

Women whispered quietly amongst themselves, some with red, tear-soaked eyes.

Men stood in scattered clusters, arms folded, eyes distant, helpless, heartbroken.

Amid this haunting scene, Pa Arinze, with a trembling voice and a heart barely holding together, summoned the strength to recount his harrowing ordeal.

“They were all healthy…” — A Father’s Testimony

“It all began Saturday night,” he said.

“The children were playing football in front of the compound.

“They were laughing, teasing each other. My youngest, a girl, was the goalkeeper.”

He recounted how their mother had prepared dinner for the family, a simple, familiar food.

As they ate, he noticed something strange: the children didn’t eat as much as usual.

Hours later, the nightmare began.

“Between 10 and 11 p.m., they started complaining of stomach aches.

“The youngest was groaning in pain.

“She began to vomit.

“We tried everything – olive oil, cooking oil, holy water, prayers.

“She calmed down briefly, and we all went to bed, though we remained watchful.”

But the calm was deceptive.

At around 2 a.m., the little girl started vomiting again, this time, a black substance.

As her strength faded, she took her final breath beside her father’s bed.

Too shocked to awaken his wife to what had happened, Pa Arinze held his pain until he could no longer conceal the loss.

Then, as if caught in a relentless storm, the other children began falling ill,one after the other.

A Desperate Race Against Death

The family rushed the children to a nearby maternity clinic.

Oluebube, the eldest daughter, ran errands, helping her younger siblings.

But things spiraled.

The first son started bleeding from his nose and ears.

Two of the children died at the hospital.

With little time and rising fear, the rest were moved to Iyienu Mission Hospital, then to Crown Hospital, as the situation worsened.

“I don’t know where the money came from,” Pa Arinze said with tears.

“People around me, strangers, friends – brought money.

“We were billed over ₦600,000.

“God bless everyone who helped. I had nothing,” he added.

At Crown Hospital, Oluebube and her brother also passed away.

Their mother, too, had fallen critically ill from the same symptoms and was fighting for her life.

“What Do I Have Left?”

Pa Arinze hinted that he was once married.

A man, who had once lost a wife without bearing children, finally found joy and family with his second wife, who bore him six children.

But now, only one of them, who was away studying with a relative, survives.

Five precious lives are gone, and his wife remains in the hospital, struggling to survive.

The DDM crew visited Crown Hospital, where they met a relative who, too grief-stricken to speak on camera, confirmed that the mother’s condition had stabilized.

Dr. Ogudebe, who is managing her case, also declined to go on record but shared cautiously that the likely cause was food poisoning, though only an autopsy can confirm this.

He emphasized that the mother’s vitals were stable, and he remained hopeful for her recovery.

They Were Good Children

Back at the home, neighbours and sympathizers shared memories of the children.

“They were inseparable.

“They walked together, played together, even worked together,” one woman said.

“They adored their father.

“You could see it in their eyes whenever he called.”

Now those eyes are closed. Their voices, silenced.

A Cry for Help

Diaspora Digital Media is calling on well-meaning Nigerians, kind-hearted souls, and anyone moved by this tragedy to come to the aid of Pa Robinson Arinze Aghalu.

This is a man who once served his country in uniform, now reduced to a life of quiet sorrow and financial helplessness.

Pa Aghalu has only the hope that his wife will pull through and that his one surviving child will carry forward the legacy of the siblings lost too soon.

You can send support to:
Access Bank Plc
Account Name: Robinson Arinze Aghalu
Account Number: 0019871346

Let us, as a people, show love in action, and wrap this man and his surviving family in the arms of our collective humanity.

In Loving Memory

To the five angels gone too soon—may your souls rest in eternal peace!

May your laughter echo in heaven, and may your brief lives on earth never be forgotten.

This is a clarion call from Diaspora Digital Media.

Reporting by Ugochukwu Chukwu for Diaspora Digital Media.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook