The death toll from suspected alcohol poisoning in parts of Ondo State has risen to 30, with 60 cases recorded following the consumption of a suspected toxic alcoholic substance.
Gatekeepers News reports that Banji Ajaka, Ondo commissioner for health, disclosed the latest figures on Friday in Akure. He said three people were currently receiving treatment in hospitals, while 27 others remained under medical observation.
The incident occurred on September 5 in Odigbo town and Araromi-Obu, where residents reportedly consumed an herbal liquid substance. Some of those affected later became unconscious before dying at different locations.
According to Ajaka, cases were recorded mainly in Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu, Newtown, Odole, Okele and Oniparaga communities. About 95 percent of those affected were males aged between 16 and 55.
The victims reportedly developed symptoms including headache, body pain, weakness, visual impairment, difficulty breathing and altered consciousness. Some patients were said to have deteriorated rapidly.
Ajaka said the pattern of illness and the reported exposure had raised “strong epidemiological suspicion of exposure to a probable toxic alcoholic substance.” However, he stressed that laboratory evidence confirming the cause of the deaths was not yet available.
The commissioner said authorities had collected 36 blood and urine samples for laboratory analysis, while samples of the suspected alcoholic substances had also been submitted for toxicological examination.
The investigation is being conducted in collaboration with relevant regulatory and security agencies, with several suspects already taken into custody.
Following the deaths, the Ondo State Government imposed a temporary ban on the production and sale of locally brewed alcoholic and alcoholic herbal beverages in Odigbo Local Government Area.
The government also urged residents to stay away from alcoholic products obtained from unlicensed sources and seek urgent medical attention if they experience blurred vision, breathing difficulties, sudden weakness, confusion or loss of consciousness after consuming alcohol.
