Ondo Toxic Drink: NAFDAC Confirms 48 Dead, 182 Cases as Methanol Suspected

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confirmed that 48 people have died and 182 cases have been recorded following the consumption of suspected locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions in parts of Ondo State, with preliminary laboratory findings indicating high concentrations of toxic methanol in samples of the drinks.

The health crisis has affected communities in Odigbo and Irele Local Government Areas, with authorities reporting severe illness, visual impairment and other complications among people who consumed the suspected products.

NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed the latest figures in an update on the incident, saying five affected persons had reportedly become completely blind while two others suffered partial blindness.

The agency said the affected communities include Odigbo Town, Araromi-Obu, New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo and Oniparaga, while cases have also been recorded in parts of Irele Local Government Area.

The outbreak was first reported in early September after residents who consumed locally prepared alcoholic or herbal drinks began falling ill and, in some cases, dying suddenly.

The number of deaths has changed as surveillance and investigations expanded. Earlier reports from the Ondo State Government had placed the death toll at 49, while NAFDAC’s latest update put the confirmed figure at 48 deaths and 182 recorded cases.

NAFDAC said 90 affected people had been admitted to hospitals and subsequently discharged, while six remained hospitalised. Another 31 people received treatment as outpatients, with other cases involving varying degrees of illness and complications.

The reported symptoms include headaches, general weakness and body pain, visual disturbances, difficulty breathing and altered consciousness. Some patients reportedly deteriorated rapidly after consuming the suspected drinks.

The suspected role of methanol has become central to the investigation after NAFDAC’s laboratory analysis detected high concentrations of the toxic substance in samples collected from the affected communities.

Methanol is a toxic form of alcohol that can cause severe poisoning when consumed. Exposure can result in damage to the optic nerve, blindness, organ failure and death.

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NAFDAC said it collected 15 unlabeled samples of the suspected alcoholic and herbal products for toxicological, microbiological and chemical screening.

The agency also conducted acute oral toxicity tests on laboratory mice in accordance with its standard procedures and relevant international guidelines.

According to NAFDAC, all the samples tested caused critical illness in the animals, while approximately 50 per cent mortality was recorded in six of the 15 samples tested.

The agency said some of the animals recovered after 24 hours but warned that further exposure could be fatal.

Chemical screening also detected Cannabis indica in 11 of the samples, while gas chromatography confirmed the presence of high concentrations of methanol.

NAFDAC said the combination of the preliminary laboratory findings and the mortality recorded during toxicity testing indicated that the suspected products posed a serious public health risk.

However, the agency stressed that its findings remain preliminary and that further confirmatory tests are being conducted to determine the exact concentration of methanol and identify any other toxic substances that may have contributed to the illnesses and deaths.

The agency has therefore continued surveillance, laboratory testing, case management and other risk-control measures across the affected communities.

The Ondo State Government has also intensified its response, working with NAFDAC, the World Health Organisation, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, the Amotekun Corps and local government authorities.

The state government had earlier banned the production, sale and distribution of unverified alcoholic drinks and other suspected harmful substances following the initial deaths.

The ban was introduced after the number of deaths began rising in Odigbo and Araromi-Obu, with authorities subsequently extending their surveillance to other communities.

The crisis later spread to Irele Local Government Area, where new cases and deaths were reported in communities including Idogun and Gbogunron.

Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, said the government was working to identify the source of the suspected methanol exposure in the affected Irele communities.

The authorities have also warned residents against consuming unregulated locally produced alcoholic drinks and herbal concoctions, particularly products whose contents, production process and source cannot be verified.

Police authorities have arrested 15 people in connection with the suspected production, sale and distribution of the implicated drinks.

One of the suspects is alleged to have been involved in producing substances suspected to contain methanol and is assisting investigators, while other arrests were linked to alleged violations of the ban imposed by the authorities.

The investigation is expected to establish the source of the methanol, identify the producers and distributors involved, and determine whether the substance was deliberately added to the drinks or entered the products through another stage of production.

The suspected drink has been linked in local accounts to a high-alcohol herbal concoction popularly known as “Monkey Tail”, although authorities have not established that every product sold under that name was responsible for the poisoning.

Local traders have described different versions of the drink, underscoring the need for laboratory analysis to determine exactly which products and batches were implicated in the outbreak.

The incident has also highlighted concerns about the widespread consumption of unregulated alcoholic beverages in some Nigerian communities.

Locally produced alcoholic drinks are often cheaper and more accessible than regulated commercial products, particularly in rural communities. However, products manufactured outside formal regulatory systems may contain undeclared or dangerous substances.

The tragedy has therefore renewed concerns about food and drug safety, enforcement of regulations governing alcoholic beverages and the need for consumers to avoid products whose ingredients and production standards cannot be verified.

The reported cases of blindness have added another serious dimension to the health crisis.

Methanol poisoning can initially present with symptoms that may not immediately appear life-threatening before progressing to severe complications, including visual impairment, neurological damage, organ failure and death.

Health authorities have urged anyone who consumed the suspected drinks and subsequently developed symptoms such as blurred vision, weakness, vomiting, breathing difficulties, severe headache or altered consciousness to seek emergency medical attention.

The Ondo outbreak has also prompted broader public health warnings as authorities seek to prevent additional deaths.

NAFDAC said its investigations would continue until the precise chemical composition of the implicated products and the source of the contamination are established.

The agency has also warned that the current figures may change as surveillance continues and previously unreported cases are identified and verified.

For families who have lost relatives, the immediate concern remains accountability and preventing further exposure, while health officials are focused on treating survivors and tracing the suspected toxic products.

The 48 deaths and 182 recorded cases make the Ondo incident one of the most serious recent suspected methanol poisoning outbreaks reported in Nigeria.

Authorities are now working to establish the full chain of production and distribution of the suspected drinks, while the arrests and laboratory investigations continue.

Until the confirmatory laboratory tests are completed, NAFDAC has maintained that its methanol findings are preliminary. However, the agency’s detection of high concentrations of methanol in the suspected products, combined with the severe symptoms and deaths reported among consumers, has intensified the warning against consuming unregulated alcoholic and herbal concoctions.

The Ondo State Government and federal agencies have urged residents to cooperate with investigators, avoid suspected products and report any additional cases to health authorities as efforts continue to contain the outbreak.

Ondo Toxic Drink: NAFDAC Confirms 48 Dead, 182 Cases as Methanol Suspected