The Imo State Police Command has confirmed the deaths of two yet-to-be-identified Nollywood actors in Owerri, the state capital, after eating rice and drinking wine on Friday.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the Imo State Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police Henry Okoye in a statement said investigations had begun to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Confirming the development, Okoye said, “Yes, the Command is aware of the unfortunate case of unnatural death. I can confirm that two people were pronounced dead, while two others were hospitalised.
“As I speak with you, the Commissioner of Police for Imo State, Aboki Danjuma, has directed a pathologist to conduct tests on the two deceased persons to ascertain the cause of death.
“The results will determine the next line of action in the matter,” Okoye added.
News broke on Friday night that four actors had been rushed to the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri, where two were pronounced dead on arrival.
A source, Kaito Karisia, said the movie director who provided the food and drinks had reportedly gone to bed early, leaving the four actors and three ladies partying.
He reportedly woke up in the early hours of Friday to switch from the power generator to the public power supply and discovered that two actors were already dead while the other two were gasping for breath.
Karisia, who shared news of the incident on his Facebook page, said the two surviving male actors were responding to treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Owerri.
According to him, one of the survivors recounted, “Their host (the movie director) offered them rice, and everyone ate. He later brought out a bottle of Calypso and wine. They only took a sip and did not drink further.
“However, the two other guys who are now dead finished the drink.”
