24 Dead in Ondo Communities After Consuming Herbal Substance

At least 24 people have died in two communities in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State after consuming a suspected herbal substance, with the state government launching an investigation to determine what caused the deaths.

The affected communities are Araromi Obu and Odigbo town, where the deaths reportedly occurred on Saturday and have left residents deeply concerned.

According to a source familiar with the incident, some of the victims consumed the substance at different locations before reportedly becoming unconscious. Others who fell ill were taken to various hospitals for treatment.

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.”

The Chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area, Mr Taiwo Adegoroye, confirmed the death toll in a telephone interview, but stressed that authorities had yet to establish the actual cause of the fatalities.

According to him, medical officials from the Ondo State Ministry of Health were expected to conduct further examinations, including autopsies, before any definitive conclusion could be reached.

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 precautionary measure, the council chairman said the sale and consumption of locally brewed alcoholic drinks had been prohibited in the affected area.

He added that a preliminary verbal autopsy conducted by the local government health team suggested a possible connection between the deaths and consumption of the substances, although the findings had yet to be medically confirmed.

The Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, also confirmed the incident and said the government had commenced investigations to determine what led to the deaths.

Ajaka, who spoke by telephone, did not identify the substance suspected to be responsible but said health officials would carry out 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.”

The development has also triggered concern among youths in Odigbo, some of whom staged a mini protest at the palace of the traditional ruler.

The protesters reportedly demanded explanations over the deaths and called for immediate steps to prevent additional fatalities.

Responding to the youths, the monarch of Odigbo, Oba Rufus Akinrinmade, appealed for calm.

The traditional ruler assured the protesters that efforts would be made to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and work towards finding a lasting solution to the situation.