At least 24 people have died in two communities in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State after consuming a suspected herbal liquid substance.
The deaths occurred in Araromi Obu and Odigbo town, where eight people reportedly died in Araromi Obu and another 16 in Odigbo town.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, has left residents of the affected communities in mourning, while several other people who consumed the substance are currently receiving treatment in hospitals.
A source in the area said the victims consumed the substance at different locations before some of them became unconscious and later died.
The source said, “They (the deceased) drank the herbal substance and started dying, eight people died in Araromi Obu while 16 lost their lives in Odigbo town but we are yet to confirm if it is what they drank that killed them but we are sure that the people died after drinking the herbal drinks.
“Some of the people died in their sleep while some died when they got home and many are still in the hospital as I am talking to you.”
The Chairman of Odigbo Local Government, Taiwo Adegoroye, confirmed the deaths in a telephone interview, but stressed that the exact cause had yet to be established.
According to him, health officials were expected to conduct tests and autopsies on the deceased to determine what caused the fatalities.
Adegoroye said, “We can confirm the death of 24 people, eight in Araromi Obu and 16 in Odigbo town and many are still on admission at hospitals. But we are yet to ascertain the cause of the death and we are still waiting for the team from the state Ministry of Health to carry out the test on the deceased. That is why we can’t specifically say the real cause.”
As a precautionary measure, the council chairman said he had ordered a ban on the sale and consumption of locally brewed alcoholic drinks within the area.
He added that a preliminary verbal autopsy conducted by the local government health team had suggested a possible connection between the deaths and consumption of the substances.
The Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, also confirmed the incident, saying investigations were ongoing to establish what led to the deaths.
Ajaka said the specific substance suspected to be responsible had not been identified, adding that medical personnel would carry out further assessments in the affected communities.
“The government is taking the matter seriously and we will provide more details after the ongoing investigation has established the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Meanwhile, some youths staged a protest in the town and proceeded to the palace of the Odigbo traditional ruler, demanding answers and immediate steps to prevent further deaths.
The monarch, Oba Rufus Akinrinmade, appealed for calm, assuring the protesters that authorities would work to establish what happened and address the situation.
