The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confirmed the death of 48 persons following the consumption of locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions in Ondo State, with 182 others critically ill.
This is according to a statement issued to newsmen in Abuja on Friday evening by NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.
The statement said the tragedy affected several communities, including New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Oniparaga, all situated within Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Adeyeye explained that the incident was first reported in early September 2026 after multiple residents suddenly fell ill and died after consuming the suspected herbal substance.
According to her, initial field reports indicated 31 fatalities—comprising 20 victims in Odigbo Town and 11 in Araromi-Obu—while scores of affected persons were hospitalised or placed under strict medical observation.
She noted that as regulatory and public health investigations progressed, the casualty figures escalated significantly, bringing the total number of critically ill patients to 182, alongside 48 recorded deaths.
She said the remaining affected persons experienced varying degrees of illness and complications. Of these, 90 were admitted and subsequently discharged, six remained hospitalised, 31 were treated as outpatients, five reportedly became totally blind and two suffered partial blindness.
“The general clinical features reported among affected persons included headache, generalised body weakness and pain, visual disturbances, difficulty in breathing and altered consciousness, with some cases reportedly deteriorating rapidly.
“NAFDAC investigations revealed that 15 persons have so far been arrested in connection with the suspected production, sale and distribution of the implicated locally produced alcoholic/herbal beverages,” Adeyeye said.
She said NAFDAC had continued its investigation and had taken samples of the suspected concoction for comprehensive laboratory examination and toxicological studies.
These analyses were important for determining the chemical composition of the suspected product and identifying any potentially toxic substances, adulterants, contaminants or undeclared ingredients.
“The laboratory conducted toxicological, microbiological and chemical screening to identify potential toxicants on the 15 unlabelled samples that were submitted.
“Acute Oral Toxicity Test was performed using official methods—animal models (laboratory mice)—in accordance with laboratory SOPs and OECD standard guidelines.
“Chemical analysis was conducted using gas chromatography to detect toxic contaminants, while microbiological examination was conducted in line with USP standards and laboratory SOP.
“The acute oral toxicity test results for all samples recorded critically sick mice, and approximately 50 per cent mortality was recorded in six samples out of the 15 analysed, indicating significant toxic potential,” she said.
Adeyeye said those critically ill recovered after 24 hours of administration, adding that there were possibilities that those that recovered might die if challenged with a second dose (estimated dose).
She said the chemical screening results indicated that 11 samples contained Cannabis indica, while chemical analysis with gas chromatography confirmed the presence of high concentrations of methanol.
According to her, methanol is a highly toxic substance known to cause severe health effects, including blindness, organ failure and death.
She said the preliminary conclusion, with the combination of high mortality in animal testing and confirmed methanol contamination, strongly suggested that the samples posed a serious public health risk.
Adeyeye said the findings, however, required further confirmatory analyses and immediate regulatory intervention to prevent further harm.
She noted that further confirmatory testing was ongoing to quantify the methanol concentration and identify other possible toxic agents.
According to her, methanol in oral preparations is extremely dangerous, and ingestion can cause severe poisoning leading to blindness, organ failure and death.
She said the Ondo incident currently represented a significant public health concern due to the increasing number of deaths and those requiring medical attention.
She added that the current reported situation as at Sept. 17, 2026, summarised the above figures, which remained subject to continued verification as the investigation and surveillance activities continued.
The NAFDAC boss commiserated with the bereaved families, praying for the repose of the souls of the departed as laboratory analyses and investigations continued to identify the toxic contaminants.
