By Musa Muhammad Kutama, Calabar
Tragedy struck in Calabar, Cross River State, as two young lovers and their puppy died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning after allegedly inhaling generator fumes while asleep in their apartment.
The victims were identified as Miss Favour Uduak Smith and her boyfriend, whose identity had not been confirmed at the time of filing this report.
The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday night at their residence along Poultry Farm Road in Calabar South Local Government Area. Neighbours said the couple had only recently moved into the apartment.
According to residents who spoke on condition of anonymity, the male occupant switched on a generator during a power outage and allegedly left it running inside the room before the couple went to sleep.
A neighbour, who identified himself simply as Akong, said the generator continued running throughout the night, releasing deadly carbon monoxide fumes into the poorly ventilated room.
“He moved into the house recently and, because there was no electricity on Thursday night, he switched on his generator and kept it inside the room while they slept.
By morning, both of them could not wake up,” Akong said.
He added that the couple’s puppy, which they had recently purchased, also died after inhaling the toxic fumes.
The bodies of the deceased were later evacuated to a mortuary, while neighbours reportedly buried the dead puppy within the compound.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the police were unsuccessful, as the Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer, Ewa Etta Sunday, did not respond to calls or text messages as of the time of filing this report.
