By Akonasu Gbedozin Amid growing concerns and viral rumours about allegedly "cursed" or poisoned rice causing deaths in the Badag...
By Akonasu Gbedozin
Amid growing concerns and viral rumours about allegedly "cursed" or poisoned rice causing deaths in the Badagry area, a prominent local resident, Basit Badaru, has stepped forward to set the record straight.
Responding to a recent post by Kriko St Augustine titled *“Urgent Need to Debunk Fake News About ‘Cursed Rice’ in Badagry,”* Badaru shared his personal experience living in the Seme Border axis of Badagry West — an area close to the epicentre of the alleged incident.
“Thank you, my distinguished Sheikh, for raising this. It’s indeed important we separate facts from fiction,” Badaru said.
According to him, neither he nor his family — who reside in the community and eat rice regularly — have experienced any illness, let alone the fatalities being circulated on social media.
“In fact, my children eat rice almost every day, even take it to school,” he added. “So do my relatives and close friends around the area. Alhamdulillah, we’re all in good health.”
Badaru revealed that the rumours have spread so widely that he’s been receiving concerned messages from professors at Olabisi Onabanjo University, as well as distant friends and family members seeking clarity.
“This shows how far the rumour has spread,” he noted, underscoring the influence and speed of misinformation in the digital age.
While acknowledging that there may have been some isolated incidents involving security personnel, Badaru emphasized that there is no verified link between those events and rice consumption — or any supposed “curse.”
“To the best of my knowledge, there’s no confirmed evidence or casualties among local people due to eating rice,” he said. “We’ve heard voice notes and seen videos, but none have been verified. Panic helps no one.”
He urged fellow residents and the public at large to remain calm, avoid speculation, and focus on facts.
“Let’s investigate, not speculate,” he concluded.
Related News: Suspected Cholera Outbreak — Not Poisonous Rice — Behind Mysterious Deaths in Badagry Community
Badagry Today has earlier reported that a suspected cholera outbreak — not tainted food — as the likely culprit behind the rising death toll in Zongo community, located in the Seme axis of Badagry West Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
Health authorities have dismissed viral voice notes claiming that stolen trailer-loads of rice were “cursed” by an aggrieved owner, leading to mass deaths. The real issue, according to medical experts on the ground, is a possible outbreak of cholera — a waterborne bacterial infection known to spread quickly in areas with poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water.
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