NAFDAC Update on the deadly alcoholic-concoction incident in Ondo State don bring fresh details about how serious the matter don become, with the food and drug regulator confirming 48 deaths and 182 reported cases as of September 17. But as the numbers rise, one disturbing question still dey hang for air: how did a locally prepared drink become linked to such a devastating public-health emergency?
According to the latest update from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the affected communities are mainly in Odigbo Local Government Area, including Odigbo Town, New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Oniparaga. Cases have also been reported in Irele Local Government Area. NAFDAC says the figures remain subject to verification because surveillance and investigation are still continuing.
Methanol Poisoning Investigation Reveals Dangerous Findings
The NAFDAC Update says the agency analysed 15 unlabelled samples connected to the suspected alcoholic and herbal concoctions. The laboratory work included acute oral toxicity testing, gas chromatography and microbiological examination. Preliminary results reportedly showed that 11 of the 15 samples tested positive for Cannabis indica, while gas chromatography detected high concentrations of methanol — a highly toxic substance capable of causing blindness, organ failure and death when ingested.
The methanol finding is particularly serious because some victims have reportedly suffered permanent consequences beyond the deaths already recorded. NAFDAC said five people were rendered totally blind and two others partially blind. The agency also reported that 90 affected people had been admitted and subsequently discharged, 31 were treated as outpatients and six remained hospitalised in the situation report. Confirmatory analyses are still being conducted to determine the exact methanol concentration and whether other toxic substances also played a role.
NAFDAC Update: Arrests, Wider Spread and Public Warning
The latest NAFDAC Update also reveals that the incident has moved beyond the initial communities where the sudden illnesses and deaths were first reported. Authorities are now monitoring reported cases in Irele, while surveillance, case management, investigation and risk-control measures are continuing with relevant public-health authorities. NAFDAC also disclosed that 15 people have been arrested in connection with the suspected production, sale and distribution of the implicated alcoholic beverages.
There is important context behind the warning. Locally prepared alcoholic and herbal mixtures can vary greatly in their ingredients and production methods, particularly when they are sold without proper labelling or regulatory oversight. In this case, NAFDAC has not presented the laboratory findings as the final conclusion of every aspect of the outbreak; the agency says confirmatory testing and further investigation remain necessary. The regulator has therefore warned Nigerians against consuming unlicensed, unregistered or locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions of unknown composition.
The NAFDAC Update has changed the picture from an initial report of sudden illnesses and deaths into a much wider public-health investigation involving dozens of deaths, hundreds of affected people, serious cases of blindness and suspected toxic contamination. OGM News Pidgin will continue to follow the investigation as authorities verify the figures, complete laboratory analysis and determine what action will be taken against those suspected of producing or distributing the dangerous concoctions.
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