Health
Killer drink: Inside Ondo communities’ grief over 48 deaths
PETER DADA reports on the shock and grief in some communities in Ondo State following the deaths of 48 people and the hospitalisation of scores after consuming methanol-contaminated alcoholic drinks
Shock and grief still grip Odigbo, Araromi and Ode Irele in Odigbo and Irele Local Government Areas of Ondo State over the deaths of 48 people following the consumption of an alcoholic liquid substance, later discovered to be methanol. Disbelief, which initially greeted the news, gave way to reality when the state government confirmed that at least 48 people had died and 100 people were hospitalised over the consumption of the alcoholic liquid. Most of those affected were said to be men and youths, between the ages of 16 and 55, living in communities including New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu, Oniparaga and Irele, although more casualties were recorded in Odigbo and Araromi-Obu communities.
There were diverse reports on the source of the killer drink. A report said it all started at a naming ceremony where a particular local gin was served to all interested guests. Typically, in the communities, local gin is consumed with herbs for medicinal purposes. This time, what was a typical drink for pleasure and merriment led to their deaths.
And one after the other, they began to take ill. Primary Health Centres and nearby hospitals began to get overwhelmed as families, relatives and neighbours sought help for people grimacing in pain. As diagnosis intensified, so did the cases get worse. Amid the deterioration, hospitals referred the cases to the state-owned Trauma Centre in Ondo town. While some made it to the hospital beds, some lost their lives along the way.
And panic set in as community leaders sought to fathom what was behind the sudden health crisis that disrupted the peaceful agrarian communities. Some initially believed the deities of the land were offended and fighting back. This was followed by a series of protests by women and youths of the Odigbo community, demanding that the traditional rulers find a way to appease the gods over the predicament. The revelation by the state and Federal Government that the source of the crisis was the consumption of methanol in a drink shook them to the bone marrow.
Providing insight into the health crisis, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, in a statement by its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed that high concentrations of methanol and cannabis indica in locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions were linked to the cause of the crisis. The agency also confirmed that seven people were rendered blind, while 182 cases of illness had been recorded as of September 17, 2026.
Backing the NAFDAC disclosure, the Ondo Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, said the state government had taken some proactive steps to contain the crisis, including enforcement of the ban on the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks at parks and on the streets.
He disclosed that the tragic deaths and hospitalisations were recorded across six primary locations: Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu, Newtown, Odole, Okele, and Oniparaga communities, all in Odigbo LGA, while other deaths were also recorded in Ode Irele, the headquarters of Irele Local Government Area.
The commissioner explained that the victims presented with severe clinical symptoms, including intense headaches, sharp body pains, extreme weakness, visual impairment, respiratory distress, and loss of consciousness, with several patients suffering rapid organ deterioration leading to their deaths.
He said, “Altogether we have 182 casualties, 48 deaths and 134 were taken to the hospitals; five people were permanently blind, while two were partially blind; maybe they can regain their sight later. We may have people dying in other areas because we learnt that the drink was taken to other areas, but we can only count the ones reported officially. But the crisis is easing as we don’t have more casualties, and many of those in the hospital have been discharged.”
As part of precautionary measures, Ajaka warned residents of the state against consuming unverified or unlicensed alcoholic drinks. He also urged community leaders to immediately report strange health occurrences or sudden fatalities in their environment. He advised anyone experiencing blurred vision, breathing difficulty, or confusion after consuming alcohol to present themselves at the nearest hospital immediately.
A survivor of the incident, Shola Adebayo, narrated that a friend bought the drink on a Friday and invited him to drink at a get-together. Adebayo said he and four other friends drank from the same supply before going their separate ways. He stressed that the supplier of the substance even drank from it, but all of them who consumed it got into trouble, as he himself lost his sight.
He said, “I took two shots (small cup) and went home. On Saturday, I discovered I couldn’t see very well, so I called my sister, and I was taken to the hospital for treatment. Though I’m getting better now, I’m praying that I regain my sight. This experience has also changed my attitude towards alcohol.
Another survivor, who identified himself simply as Moshood, residing in Odigbo, said he took half of a bottle of gin home from a friend, but the friend passed away after taking the drink. Moshood said he was sipping a little of the gin when the news reached him that the friend had collapsed and later gave up the ghost.
“My late friend gave me half of the bottle of the drink, but I didn’t drink it at that spot. I went home with the bottle because I was hungry. After eating, I poured a little quantity into a cup, and sipped a little, hoping to take the rest later. Shortly after, I discovered that I was feeling a bit dizzy, so I couldn’t continue. It was then that I got the news that my friend had collapsed and had been rushed to the hospital. Before he got to the hospital, I was told he had given up. That was why I didn’t drink the gin again. After some hours, my wife gave me a poison antidote, and I felt better.
Ayo Adedeji, who lost a cousin and two friends, said the three men were active members of the community, and their deaths came without any serious signs.
“We lost them; everyone in the community is not happy, even up to now. But we cannot fight God. We have to accept our faith,” he lamented. According to him, Bidemi (one of the deceased), who was under 40, served as an administrator in the New Town area of Odigbo community and was not known to be suffering from any illness before his death.
“Death came at a time we did not expect because he was not sick. He just felt that he was dizzy. Not long after, he died. Two of the three men were married, while Bidemi was unmarried. It is a tragic development in the community.”
He appealed to traditional rulers in the area and government agencies to prevent people from selling and consuming unverified alcohol, herbal, and non-herbal drinks in the community.
The monarch of Odigbo community, Oba Rufus Akinrinmade, dismissed the initial information doing the rounds among the people of the community that an abomination had been committed, leading to the deaths of many people in the town. The information circulated also included that if nothing was done spiritually, more calamities would befall the community. The traditional ruler described the report as a mere rumour and baseless, saying it had been discovered that people were losing their lives as a result of poisonous drink consumption.
He, however, stated that spiritual prayers were being conducted in the community but maintained that the immediate concern was the consumption of poisonous substances. He urged young people to be more careful about what they consume. He said, “People have said a lot of things. At the end of the day, we realised the crisis was caused by the people who took different alcoholic substances, the locally made alcoholic ones. Whatever is going into your system should be certified pure. You should know the source of what you take in.”
Speaking on the incident, a medical doctor, Bimpe Akindele, described the incident as sad, calling for drastic measures by the state and local government authorities to criminalise the production, sale, and consumption of unverified food or drinks that people consume.
Akindele said, “From what we read in the media, it was discovered that people took some liquid substance that contained a high concentration of methanol. That is serious because when one drinks such a liquid substance, it first gets to the brain; from there, the body organs would begin to malfunction. That’s why you begin to experience symptoms such as sudden loss of vision, breathing difficulties, difficulty speaking, dizziness, weakness, renal failure, circulatory failure and respiratory distress after taking the drinks.
“I can tell you that the incident is a catastrophe. For 48 people to die, and some to lose their sight, as a result of what they consumed, is a serious matter that the authorities should not treat with kid gloves. We learnt that some people have been arrested; the authorities should do more by getting to the source of production of this poisonous drink.”
Akindele urged the governments at all levels as well as the regulatory agencies of government to be more proactive against those dealing with fake and adulterated foods and drinks in Nigeria to save citizens from untimely death and preventable diseases.
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