FEATURES
One Suspect Arrested Over Ondo Herbal Drink Deaths as Toll Rises Above 30
The death toll from suspected consumption of adulterated locally made alcoholic drinks in parts of Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State has risen to more than 30, with over 50 others reportedly hospitalised.
The tragedy has affected several communities, including Odigbo town, Newtown, Orita and Araromi-Obu, where families have been thrown into mourning.
The male vendor alleged to have sold the suspected toxic drink has been arrested and handed over to the police in Akure, according to the Chairman of Odigbo Local Government, Adegoroye Taiwo.
Adegoroye said investigations were ongoing to establish the source and composition of the substance suspected to have caused the deaths.
He disclosed that preliminary assessments by medical experts and toxicologists indicated that the fatalities were linked to the consumption of adulterated locally produced alcoholic drinks.
The chairman said the state government deployed a medical team to the affected communities after he alerted Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa. The team, he added, includes officials from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
As part of measures to prevent further deaths, the local government has banned the sale and consumption of locally produced alcoholic drinks and directed security agencies to arrest and prosecute anyone violating the order.
According to Adegoroye, some of the suspected drinks are locally produced alcoholic beverages popularly known by different names, including “Jeji,” “Ere” and “Monkey Tail.”
He said preliminary toxicology findings had raised concerns over unapproved substances, including locally produced alcohol and ethanol-based mixtures.
The chairman, however, noted that earlier reports had put the death toll at about 27, with around 30 people hospitalised, stressing that the medical team would provide the official figures after completing its assessment.
Meanwhile, a 32-year-old survivor, Shola Adebayo, has recounted his ordeal after consuming a locally made drink known as “Monkey Tail.”
Adebayo said he took two shots of the drink after a friend brought it from Ore. By the following day, he said, his eyesight had deteriorated significantly.
“I took Monkey Tail. On Saturday, I discovered I couldn’t see very well, so I called my sister and I was taken to the hospital. I’m getting better, but I’m praying for my eyes,” he said.
The survivor vowed to stay away from alcoholic drinks if he fully recovers.
“If God saved me, I swear I will never take any drinks again, even beer, I won’t take,” he said.
A relative of some of the victims, Adebayo Adetayo Adedeji, said the community had lost three young men, including his cousin and two friends identified as Leo, Bidemi and Matthew.
He described Bidemi’s death as particularly painful, saying the young man was not known to have suffered from any illness before he suddenly complained of dizziness and died.
Adedeji commended the local government for imposing the ban, saying it could help prevent further loss of lives.
“If they had not banned the drinking or selling of alcohol in the local government, by now Odigbo Local Government would have been a death depot,” he said.
The traditional ruler of Odigbo Kingdom, Oba Dr Rufus Akinrimade, also dismissed speculation that the deaths were connected to a cultural taboo.
According to the monarch, investigations had instead pointed towards the consumption of locally produced alcoholic substances.
“At the end of the day, we realised it was caused by taking different alcoholic substances, locally made alcohol. I think the death was caused by the intake of alcohol,” he said.
The monarch urged residents, particularly youths, to exercise caution and ascertain the source and safety of any substance they consume.