en عمومى General پژوهشي Research <strong>Background</strong><strong>:</strong> Food poisoning resulting from microbial and heavy metals pollution is commonplace. These contaminants do not only reduce the nutritional value of the food but are in many cases toxic. In this study, the proximate composition, bacterial quality and some heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Hg) concentration in three common fish species (<em>Claria gariepinus, Heterobrachus bidorsalis and Channa obscura</em>) found in flood basin of Omambala River in Anambra, Nigeria were evaluated from 2016&nbsp; to 2017.<br> <strong>Methods:</strong> Wet digestion was used for the samples preparation and AOAC methods were adopted for the proximate analysis. Standard aerobic pour-platetechniques were used for bacterial enumeration while heavy metal concentrations were determinedusing Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS).<br> <strong>Results:</strong> All the fish species had high protein, moisture, lipid, ash and minerals contents. Mean bacteria count of 3.36x10⁶cfu/g was observed in<em> C. gariepinus </em>while <em>C. obscura </em>had mean bacterial count of 3.23x10⁶cfu/g and <em>H. bidorsalis </em>had mean bacterial count of 3.40x10⁶cfu/g. <em>C. gariepinus </em>had a cadmium and lead concentration of 0.012&plusmn;0.012mg/kg,and 0.0043&plusmn;0.0012mg/kg respectively while<em> C.obscura </em>had 0.010 &plusmn; 0.005mg/kg and 0.037 &plusmn;0.013mg/kg of cadmium and lead.<em> H.bidorsalis</em> had 0.011 &plusmn; 0.002mg/kg, and 0.048 &plusmn; 0.005mg/kg of cadmium and lead respectively.<br> <strong>Conclusion:</strong> All the fish species are good sources of nutrient. The microbial and heavy metals concentrations were within the acceptable international limits for heavy metals in foods. However, the presence of these toxicants in the samples is a source of concern in relation to the health of the consumers. Bacteria, Fish, Flood Basin, Heavy Metal, Nutrients, Proximate 19 23 http://ijt.arakmu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-527-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Uwakwe Simon Onoja 100319475328460011265 100319475328460011265 No Department of Home Science, Nutrition, and Dietetics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. Nwachukwu Romanus Ekere nwachukwuekere64@gmail.com 100319475328460011266 100319475328460011266 Yes Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. Joy Uzoamaka Ezugwu 100319475328460011267 100319475328460011267 No Department of Home Science, Nutrition, and Dietetics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. Remigius Ibe Onoja 100319475328460011268 100319475328460011268 No Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.