Tragedy in Ondo as Suspected Poisoning Kills 24 Youths

Suspected Poisoning Kills 24 Youths in Ondo Community

Twenty-four people, mostly youths, have died from suspected poisoning in the Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, following the consumption of sachet concoctions and locally brewed alcoholic drinks.

The deaths, which happened over the weekend in the Odigbo and Araromi-Obu communities, have heightened tension across the council area as authorities seek to establish what caused them.

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The local government has imposed an immediate ban on the sale and consumption of locally produced alcoholic beverages. Health officials are scrambling to determine the exact cause of the fatalities, and several other victims are currently receiving treatment in hospitals. Medical personnel are working to stabilise those affected by the suspected poisoning.

Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, confirmed the incident and disclosed that investigations were underway to establish the actual cause of the deaths.

However, he did not disclose the specific substance suspected to have caused the fatalities, stressing that medical and health officials were expected to conduct further assessments in the affected communities.

Ajaka said the government was taking the matter seriously and would provide more details after the ongoing investigation had established the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Ayodele Adeji, revealed that early findings pointed to potential methanol contamination.

He stressed, however, that laboratory analysis of samples collected by the medical team was still ongoing.

Adeji also said further investigations would be required to establish whether there was any direct connection between the consumption of the locally brewed drinks and the reported deaths.

Chairman of Odigbo Local Government, Taiwo Adegoroye, stated that preliminary investigation conducted by the local government health team indicated a possible link between the reported deaths and the consumption of the substances.