The death toll from suspected poisoning linked to locally brewed alcoholic substances in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State has risen to 29.
Residents of Araromi Obu and Odigbo communities reportedly took ill after consuming substances suspected to be herbal drinks. The state government had earlier confirmed 24 deaths, with five additional fatalities recorded in the two communities.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, who visited health facilities in Araromi-Obu, said government had set up an investigation team to unravel the cause of the deaths.
Dr. Ajaka disclosed that preliminary findings had ruled out viral and bacterial infections. He said information gathered by the team suggested that some of the victims might have consumed alcohol mixed with an unidentified substance or concoction shortly before they became ill.
He warned residents against consuming unregulated alcoholic mixtures, noting that the health risks were not limited to the two affected communities.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Government has withheld the bodies of the victims from burial. Three bodies have been taken to the General Hospital, Araromi-Obu, for autopsy to determine the cause of the sudden deaths.
The Chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area, Mr. Taiwo Adegoroye, said families of the deceased had been directed not to bury the bodies until relevant medical examinations were completed.
He added that the local government had approached the court to seek a coroner’s inquest into the deaths, as authorities intensify efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the fatalities.
