The Ondo State Government revealed on Wednesday that 24 residents of the state’s Odigbo Local Government Area died as a result of consuming an herbal liquid product.
No fewer than 24 inhabitants of two communities in the council area, Araromi Obu and Odigbo town, died after swallowing the poison.
The tragedy, which is alleged to have occurred on Saturday, has left the impacted communities in mourning.
A source in the neighborhood, who requested anonymity, told our correspondent that the deceased drank the substance at various locations on Saturday before becoming unconscious and dying. At the same time, some of those who had consumed it were brought to hospitals.
The source said, “They (the deceased) drank the herbal substance and started dying. Eight people died in Araromi Obu while 16 others lost their lives in Odigbo town, but we have yet to confirm if it was 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.”
In a phone interview with our correspondent, the Chairman of the Odigbo Local Government Area, Mr. Taiwo Adegoroye, confirmed the incident and stated that the deceased consumed the substance prior to the incident, adding that they were waiting for a medical team to conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
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.”
As a precaution, the chairman also announced that the sale and consumption of locally manufactured alcoholic beverages in the area would be prohibited.
According to him, a preliminary verbal autopsy performed by the local government health team revealed a potential link between the reported fatalities and the ingestion of the narcotics.
In the same vein, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, confirmed the incidence in a phone conversation, noting that investigations were underway to determine the true cause of the deaths.
Ajaka did not immediately divulge the particular drug suspected of causing the deaths but stated that medical and health experts would conduct more assessments in the impacted 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 young people in town organized a tiny protest outside the palace of the Odigbo traditional ruler, demanding explanations and immediate action to prevent additional loss of life.
Addressing the youths, the town’s monarch, Oba Rufus Akinrinmade, asked for calm and told them that attempts would be made to determine the circumstances underlying the fatalities and find a long-term solution to the matter.
