Five persons, including a mother and her two children, were found dead in a community in Enugu State on Saturday.
The victims were identified as Chinyere Odoh and her two kids: seven-year-old Udochukwu and four-year-old Chukwuemeka.
The two others include Martina Ezeme and Ngozi Ezeme. They are Mrs Odoh’s sisters.
The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
He said the incident was reported to the police at about 9:25 a.m. on Saturday. It happened in Amutenyi, Obollo-Afor, a community in Udenu Local Government Area.
Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased went to bed the previous night, but could not wake the following morning.
The police spokesperson said police operatives were drafted to the area in response to a distress call about the incident.
The operatives, he said, forced the victims’ door open and found all of them unconscious in two separate rooms in their apartment.
“They were immediately moved to a hospital and confirmed dead by doctors on duty and their corpses deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy,” Mr Ndukwe said.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ahmed Ammani, has ordered an investigation into the incident, Mr Ndukwe said.
Mr Ammani directed that the investigation should be concluded: “within the shortest possible time.”
The police commissioner commiserated with the family and friends of the deceased.
He described the incident as “unfortunate.”
This is coming about two months after six persons, including a groom, were found dead in Akutara, Adani Community, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of the state.
The six persons had, the previous day, attended a traditional wedding in Obollo-Eke Community in Udenu Local Government Area of the state, the council area where the latest incident happened.
After they returned and held a celebration, they all went to bed but did not wake up the following morning.