At least 48 people have died and 182 others have been affected in Ondo State after consuming a locally brewed alcoholic concoction suspected to contain methanol. This has triggered arrests and a health investigation into the source of the deadly drink.
The cases were recorded in Odigbo and Irele Local Government Areas, according to the state Commissioner for Health, Banji Ajaka. About 100 affected persons were receiving treatment in hospitals as of Thursday.
Ajaka said the suspected poisoning could cause severe damage to vital organs when contaminated alcohol is consumed in sufficient quantities.
“This thing happened rapidly. Once they consume, depending on the quantity, the kidneys will pack up, the eyes will go, the brain will be damaged,” he told The Associated Press (AP).
The extent of the outbreak has raised concern because methanol poisoning can initially appear less severe before progressing into life-threatening complications, including visual impairment and organ failure.
One survivor, 32-year-old Sola Adebayo, told TVC News that his symptoms developed after he consumed the drink.
“I took like two shots and I went out on Friday. On Saturday, I noticed that I could not see,” Adebayo said from his hospital bed.
Police have arrested 15 people in connection with the incident, according to Ondo State Police spokesman Abayomi Jimoh. One of the suspects was allegedly involved in producing substances suspected to contain methanol and is assisting investigators.
Residents in the affected communities have linked the deaths to a popular herbal alcoholic concoction known as “Monkey Tail”. However, that claim has not been established by authorities as the confirmed source of the poisoning.
A trader who sells the drink in Odigbo told the AP, on condition of anonymity, that two versions of the concoction circulate in the area. According to the trader, one is considered safe while another is believed to be contaminated.
Local reports indicated that the first death occurred nearly two weeks before the latest official update, suggesting that the suspected poisoning had affected communities before authorities announced the scale of the incident.
The development has also renewed attention on the regulation of locally produced alcoholic beverages in Nigeria, particularly products sold informally and outside conventional quality-control systems.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is enforcing a nationwide prohibition on alcohol sold in sachets and small plastic containers. The agency has said such packaging makes alcoholic products easily accessible to children and young people.
Methanol is an industrial chemical that can be highly toxic when ingested. Its presence in alcoholic beverages can cause serious poisoning, including blindness, neurological damage and death.
Investigators are expected to determine how the suspected contamination occurred, identify those responsible and establish whether the affected drink was deliberately adulterated or produced under unsafe conditions.
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