No fewer than seven people have been reported dead while several others hospitalised after drinking tea suspected to have been prepared with a local leaf popularly known as Zakami at a wedding ceremony in Kano.

Zakami contains a psychoactive substance.

The incident happened on Tuesday in Sheka area of Kumbotso Local Government area of Kano State.

One of the witnesses, Sanusi Yahaya, who is also an elder brother of the bride, said the tea was suspected to be made with different types of drugs apart from the local leaf.

He said it had become a norm for the young people in the area, especially drug addicts, to cook tea during ceremonies and that they hide under that to take drugs.

Yahaya said, “They cooked the tea and they themselves didn’t even know the number and types of drugs that were inside to the extent that some had to abandon it. But some of them insisted that they must drink from the tea, saying that their brains can take it.

“After drinking the tea, two people died, some have recovered while others are hospitalised,” he said.