The death toll from suspected poisoning linked to the consumption of locally brewed alcoholic substances in two communities in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State has risen to 32.

The affected communities are Araromi-Obu and Odigbo, where several residents, mostly youths, fell ill after consuming substances suspected to be herbal alcoholic drinks.

Taiwo Adegoroye, chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area, in a telephone interview on Friday, said the number of deaths had increased to 32.

Mr Adegoroye said unconfirmed numbers of victims are still receiving treatment in several hospitals in Ore, Araromi-Obu and other private hospitals in the affected communities.

No fewer than 24 residents of the two communities had initially lost their lives after consuming the substance.

Mr Adegoroye said the police arrested the seller of the suspected herbal concoction for investigation.

The local government boss noted that the police, Amotekun Corps, and other security agencies have started clamping down on all herbal concoction sellers in the council area.

Mr Adegoroye also noted that although the exact cause of the deaths has yet to be ascertained, the state Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies are intensifying efforts to unravel it.

“It is now a taboo for anyone to sell or trade any herbal concoction, either in plastic or sachet and other firms in Odigbo Local Government Area, and anyone caught will be arrested by security agencies. Public enlightenment has begun across the local government as meetings have been held with traditional rulers, Iyalojas, and commercial motorists to desist from taking unregulated herbal concoctions.

“We’re also engaging in a public enlightenment campaign through radio jingles and social media to educate the public against the sale and intake of herbal concoctions. The death toll of victims has risen to 32, but we cannot ascertain the number of victims now in several general hospitals because anyone found with the symptoms by doctors is being taken to the hospitals for testing and diagnosis.

“Several medical doctors, health practitioners, and toxicologists from the state Ministry of Health, the National Agency for Food, Drug Control and Administration (NAFDAC), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and the World Health Organisation (WHO) are on the ground to do their investigations,” he said.

Mr Adegoroye, however, commended residents, security agencies, health practitioners and other relevant agencies for the swift response to the challenge.

He also thanked Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for promptly deploying the state Ministry of Health, other relevant agencies, and security agencies to conduct a series of investigations to unravel the cause of the incident. 

(NAN)