NAFDAC Confirms 48 Dead and Five Blinded After Mass Poisoning From Methanol-Laced Herbal Drinks in Ondo

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has released a grim update on the mass poisoning incident in Ondo State, confirming that 48 people have lost their lives after consuming contaminated traditional herbal and alcoholic mixtures.

The health emergency, which struck multiple communities including Odigbo, Araromi-Obu, New Town, Odole, and parts of Irele Local Government Area, has left the state in deep shock. According to NAFDAC Director-General Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, the outbreak was triggered by the rapid ingestion of locally brewed alcoholic concoctions—popularly known as “monkey tail”—which investigation teams discovered to be heavily compromised.

Comprehensive laboratory testing of unlabelled drink samples by the agency’s toxicology units yielded alarming results. Gas chromatography screening confirmed the presence of high concentrations of methanol—a highly toxic industrial chemical known to cause rapid blindness, central nervous system depression, irreversible kidney and liver failure, and death. Furthermore, 11 out of 15 tested samples tested positive for Cannabis indica, while acute oral toxicity tests on laboratory specimens recorded severe mortality rates.

Medical records from the field indicate that victims suffered rapid, violent symptoms shortly after consumption, including acute headaches, severe generalized body weakness, breathing difficulties, sudden visual impairments, and altered consciousness. Health authorities confirmed that five victims were rendered permanently blind, while two others suffered partial sight loss. Out of 182 total individuals affected across the region, dozens required intensive hospitalization before being stabilized.

In response to the tragedy, security operatives have arrested 15 suspects connected to the illicit production and commercial distribution of the tainted brews. The Ondo State Government and regulatory agencies have placed public health services on high alert, enforcing strict bans on unverified local gin mixtures and launching extensive public sensitization campaigns to deter citizens from consuming unregulated traditional substances.