The Ondo State Government, on Wednesday, confirmed the deaths of 24 residents of Odigbo Local Government Area of the state following the consumption of a herbal liquid substance.
PUNCH Metro gathered that no fewer than 24 residents of two communities in the council area, Araromi Obu and Odigbo town, reportedly lost their lives after consuming the substance.
The incident, which was said to have occurred on Saturday, has thrown the affected communities into mourning.
A source in the area who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the deceased consumed the substance at different locations on Saturday but later became unconscious, leading to their deaths. At the same time, some others who also consumed it were rushed to hospitals.
The source said, “They (the deceased) drank the herbal substance and started dying. Eight people died in Araromi Obu while 16 others lost their lives in Odigbo town, but we have yet to confirm if it was what they drank that killed them. But we are sure that the people died after drinking the herbal drinks.
“Some of the people died in their sleep while some died when they got home, and many are still in the hospital as I am talking to you.”
Confirming the incident in a telephone interview with our correspondent, the Chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area, Mr Taiwo Adegoroye, said the deceased consumed the substance before the incident, adding that they were waiting for a medical team to carry out an autopsy to determine the actual cause of the deaths.
Adegoroye said, “We can confirm the death of 24 people, eight in Araromi Obu and 16 in Odigbo town, and many are still on admission at hospitals. But we have yet to ascertain the cause of the deaths, and we are still waiting for the team from the state Ministry of Health to carry out the test on the deceased. That is why we can’t specifically say the real cause.”
The chairman also said he had banned the sale and consumption of locally brewed alcoholic drinks in the area as a precautionary measure.
According to him, a preliminary verbal autopsy conducted by the local government health team indicated a possible link between the reported deaths and the consumption of the substances.
In the same vein, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, also confirmed the incident in a telephone interview, saying investigations were underway to establish the actual cause of the deaths.
Ajaka did not immediately disclose the specific substance suspected to have caused the deaths but said medical and health officials would conduct further assessments in the affected communities.
“The government is taking the matter seriously, and we will provide more details after the ongoing investigation has established the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Meanwhile, some youths in the town staged a mini protest to the palace of the Odigbo traditional ruler to demand explanations and urgent measures to prevent further loss of life.
Addressing the youths, the monarch of the town, Oba Rufus Akinrinmade, appealed for calm and assured them that efforts would be made to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the deaths and find a lasting solution to the situation.
Source: punchng.com
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