A relative of three youths who reportedly died after allegedly consuming a herbal concoction in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State has expressed grief over the incident, saying he lost his cousin and two friends.
The relative, Adebayo Adetayo Adedeji, who identified the deceased as Leo, Bidemi and Matthew, said the three men were active members of the community and their deaths came when nobody expected them.
According to him, two of the deceased were married, while Bidemi was unmarried and served as an administrator in the New Town community.
He said Bidemi, who was under 40, was not sick before his death but only complained of dizziness before the situation deteriorated.
He said,“I am not happy. I am not happy because the three of them, my cousin as well, we did not expect their death now because they were just too active in the community.
“Death comes at a time we did not expect because he was not sick. He just felt that he was dizzy. Before we knew it, we lost him.”
Adedeji said the circumstances surrounding the deaths initially generated concerns in the community, with some residents suspecting that a taboo might have been responsible.
He said the community later realised that the deaths could be connected to substances consumed by the youths, adding that the development prompted youths to appeal to the authorities for intervention.
“But later, we realised that it was a process by which the youths take certain things into their stomachs,” he said.
He said the paramount ruler subsequently intervened by contacting the Chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area, Taiwo Adegoroye, who invited officials of the Ministry of Health to intervene in the matter.
The deaths were reported in Odigbo town, New Town, and Araromi-Obu, with no fewer than 24 people reportedly losing their lives after allegedly consuming a herbal concoction, while several others were said to have been hospitalised.
The incident also sparked a protest by youths in the affected communities with the protesters expressing concern over the deaths and calling for urgent intervention from relevant authorities.
