Ondo Suspected Poisonous Drink Death Toll Rises to 49 as Crisis Spreads to Irele

The death toll linked to the consumption of suspected poisonous alcoholic and herbal drinks in Ondo State has risen to 49, while about 170 people have been affected, according to the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka. The health crisis has also spread from Odigbo Local Government Area to Irele, where eight deaths have been reported.

The latest development has widened concerns over locally produced alcoholic substances in affected communities and prompted intensified medical surveillance and investigation by state authorities.

Ajaka said the 170 people counted in the latest figure include those who have died and people who have been admitted for treatment. He also said medical teams had been deployed to Irele after new cases were reported there.

How the Ondo drink poisoning crisis began

The first reported cases emerged in communities including Araromi-Obu and Odigbo in Odigbo Local Government Area. Early reports put the initial death toll at 24 before the number continued to rise.

The Ondo State Government subsequently moved to restrict the production and sale of locally produced alcoholic and alcoholic-herbal beverages in the affected area as authorities investigated the source of the suspected poisoning.

The police also announced the arrest of a man identified as Oloruntoba Babatunde, also known as “Meko”, who is suspected of involvement in producing the substances under investigation. The police said he was assisting investigators. Fourteen other people were also reported arrested for allegedly violating a local ban on the sale of the products.

The arrests do not establish criminal guilt. Investigations into the production, distribution and composition of the drinks remain ongoing.

Crisis spreads to another local government area

The latest concern for health authorities is the emergence of cases in Irele Local Government Area.

Ajaka said eight people had died there as of Tuesday night, describing Irele as the area of greatest concern at the time of his briefing. He said response teams had already been deployed to the area.

The commissioner said the government was working to prevent the suspected poisoning from spreading to additional local government areas.

Health officials and other agencies have been involved in surveillance, case management and efforts to establish the source of the suspected toxic substance. Channels Television reported that agencies involved include NAFDAC, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

What is suspected to have caused the deaths?

The precise composition of the substances remains an important part of the investigation.

The Ondo health commissioner has linked the health crisis to alcohol consumption and reports from the police and Nigerian media have raised concerns about possible methanol contamination.

Police said the substance being investigated was suspected to contain methanol. That allegation should not be treated as a final laboratory finding until the relevant testing and investigation establish the composition conclusively.

Methanol is particularly dangerous because its toxic effects can include visual disturbances, blindness, metabolic complications, neurological damage and death. The World Health Organization’s African regional guidance has previously warned that poorly adulterated alcoholic beverages can be a source of methanol poisoning.

NAFDAC documentation also describes serious health consequences from ingestion of methanol-containing products, including visual disturbances, severe metabolic complications, coma and death.

This does not mean every locally produced alcoholic or herbal drink contains methanol. The specific substances involved in the Ondo incident still require proper investigation and testing.

Authorities intensify response

State and local medical teams have been deployed to communities where cases have been reported.

The response includes surveillance, treatment of affected people and efforts to identify additional cases. Authorities are also working with security and regulatory agencies as the investigation continues.

The Ondo State Police Command said the bodies of victims were undergoing necessary medical and forensic procedures as investigators worked to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The investigation is therefore addressing two separate but connected questions: what caused the poisoning and how the suspected substance was produced and distributed.

What remains unclear

Several important questions have not yet been conclusively answered.

Authorities have not publicly established the complete chain of production and distribution of the suspected drinks. Laboratory findings confirming the precise substance responsible for the deaths are also still important to the investigation.

There are also differing figures in some reports concerning the number of people affected. Ondo health authorities cited about 170 people affected in their latest briefing, while an Associated Press report published on September 17 cited approximately 182 people potentially affected and at least 48 deaths.

For the latest state-level update, the figure given by the Ondo Commissioner for Health and reported by multiple Nigerian outlets is 49 deaths and about 170 people affected.

What happens next?

Health officials are expected to continue surveillance and treatment in affected communities while investigators work to establish the source and composition of the suspected poisonous substance.

Further laboratory and forensic findings should help determine whether methanol or another toxic substance was responsible for the deaths and illnesses.

For now, the confirmed public-health concern is the cluster of deaths and illnesses associated with consumption of the suspected drinks. Authorities have responded with restrictions, medical intervention and an investigation into their production and distribution.

The spread of reported cases into Irele means continued surveillance will be important as Ondo authorities attempt to prevent further deaths and determine exactly what caused the outbreak.