The Ondo State Government has confirmed the deaths of 24 residents of Odigbo Local Government Area following the consumption of a suspected herbal substance.
The victims were reportedly from Araromi Obu and Odigbo town, where eight people died in Araromi Obu and 16 others in Odigbo town.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, has thrown the affected communities into mourning, while several other residents who consumed the substance are reportedly receiving treatment in hospitals.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some of the victims became unconscious after consuming the substance and later died.
According to the source, some victims reportedly died while sleeping, while others died after returning home from where they had consumed the herbal drink.
Confirming the deaths in a telephone interview, the Chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area, Taiwo Adegoroye, said the actual cause of the deaths had yet to be established.
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 have yet to ascertain the cause of the deaths, 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.”
The chairman said a preliminary verbal autopsy conducted by the local government health team indicated a possible link between the deaths and consumption of the substances.
As a precautionary measure, Adegoroye said he had banned the sale and consumption of locally brewed alcoholic drinks in the area pending the outcome of investigations.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, also confirmed the incident, saying the government had commenced investigations to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Ajaka did not identify the substance suspected to have caused the deaths but said officials from the Ministry of Health would conduct 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,” he said.
Meanwhile, some youths staged a protest at the palace of the Odigbo traditional ruler, Oba Rufus Akinrinmade, demanding explanations and urgent action to prevent further deaths.
Addressing the protesters, the monarch appealed for calm and assured them that efforts would be made to determine the cause of the deaths and find a lasting solution to the situation.
