By Elvira Jordan
At least 24 people have died in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State after consuming a herbal liquid substance, the local government and state government have confirmed, although the actual cause of the deaths remains unestablished.
The deceased were from Araromi Obu and Odigbo town, where eight deaths were recorded in Araromi Obu and 16 in Odigbo town following the incident reportedly linked to consumption of the substance on Saturday.
Chairman of Odigbo Local Government, Taiwo Adegoroye, confirmed the deaths in a telephone interview, saying several other people who consumed the substance were receiving treatment in hospitals.
Adegoroye said authorities were awaiting a medical team from the Ondo State Ministry of Health to conduct tests and autopsies to determine the actual cause of the deaths.
“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,” he said.
According to him, a preliminary verbal autopsy conducted by the local government health team indicated a possible link between the reported deaths and consumption of the substances, but the finding had not established the cause conclusively.
As a precautionary measure, Adegoroye said he had ordered a ban on the sale and consumption of locally brewed alcoholic drinks in the area.
The Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, also confirmed the incident, saying investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Ajaka said the government had deployed medical and health officials to assess the situation in the affected communities, adding that further details would be provided after the investigation.
Meanwhile, some youths in Odigbo staged a protest and visited the palace of the traditional ruler to demand explanations and urgent action to prevent further loss of life.
Authorities are yet to identify the specific substance involved or establish that it was responsible for the deaths.
