Police Arrest Herbal Drink Producer as Ondo Death Toll Hits 29

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested Oloruntoba Babatunde, popularly known as “Meko”, over the alleged production of herbal drinks suspected to be linked to the deaths of 29 people in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The arrest followed reports of sudden and unexplained deaths among residents, particularly young people, in several communities after the consumption of suspected contaminated alcoholic drinks and herbal concoctions.

The Ondo State Government has confirmed 29 deaths and 60 suspected cases connected with the incident, prompting authorities to intensify measures against the production, sale and distribution of unverified alcoholic drinks and potentially dangerous herbal mixtures.

Police spokesman, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said Babatunde was arrested after investigators traced suspected harmful substances to him. He is currently assisting the police as investigations continue into the source, production and distribution of the drinks.

The police said substances suspected to contain methanol were recovered and submitted for forensic examination. The laboratory analysis is expected to establish the exact composition of the substances and determine whether there is a direct link between them and the reported deaths.

The command stressed that the suspected presence of methanol has not yet been established as the definitive cause of all the deaths, as forensic examinations and post-mortem procedures are still ongoing.

The bodies of the deceased are undergoing medical and forensic procedures, with the police saying the outcome of the post-mortem examinations should provide additional evidence concerning the actual causes of death.

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In a related enforcement operation, the police arrested 14 other suspects over alleged violations of the ban on the sale and consumption of dangerous alcoholic drinks and concoctions in the affected communities.

The suspects comprise people allegedly involved in selling or consuming the prohibited products. They have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Akure for further investigation.

The enforcement operation followed directives from the Commissioner of Police, CP Felix Ohagwu, targeting alcoholic drinks and concoctions considered dangerous or potentially life-threatening.

According to the police, investigators are examining every relevant lead, including the source, production, composition, distribution and consumption of the suspected drinks.

The development has also triggered intensified medical intervention in the affected communities. Health officials have been attending to people who consumed the suspected drinks, with affected residents taken to health facilities for assessment, testing and treatment.

The state government earlier moved to halt the production and distribution of unverified alcoholic beverages following the rapid increase in deaths.

The state Health Commissioner, Banji Awolowo-Ajaka, confirmed the 29 deaths and 60 suspected cases, with the affected communities spread across the Odigbo area. Earlier reports had put the death toll at 24 and later 27 before the government confirmed the figure of 29.

The police said the immediate situation had been brought under control following coordinated security, medical and investigative measures, but the investigation into the deaths remains active.

The authorities are expected to rely on laboratory results, post-mortem findings, recovered substances, statements from survivors and other evidence to establish exactly what caused the deaths and whether any individuals should face criminal charges.

The incident has renewed concerns over the dangers associated with unregulated alcoholic drinks and herbal concoctions, especially products whose ingredients and production processes are unknown or have not been subjected to safety checks.

Residents in the affected communities have been urged to avoid consuming unverified alcoholic or herbal products and to promptly seek medical attention if they develop symptoms after consuming suspicious substances.

The arrest of Babatunde and the 14 other suspects does not amount to a finding of guilt. They remain suspects while the police investigation and forensic examinations continue.

The authorities are yet to make a final determination on the precise cause of the deaths or establish through forensic evidence whether methanol contamination was responsible for the entire outbreak.

The outcome of the ongoing investigation is expected to determine whether the suspected producer and other persons arrested will face prosecution and what additional action may be taken against those involved in the manufacture, distribution or sale of potentially harmful drinks.

Police Arrest Herbal Drink Producer as Ondo Death Toll Hits 29

Grand Chief Imam calls for professional communication structure for Rabitoh 1964

OYO, September 14, 2026 — The Grand Chief Imam of Oyo Land, Sheikh Al-Imam Bilal Husayn Akinola Akeugberu, has called on the leadership of Rabitoh 1964 to strengthen its public communication structure to ensure that its positions are clearly and accurately conveyed to the Muslim Ummah and the wider public.

Akeugberu said the organisation should consider appointing a seasoned media professional with experience across print, electronic and digital platforms to coordinate its public communication.

The recommendation was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Grand Chief Imam, Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade.

According to the statement, clearer communication would help reduce the burden on the leadership of Rabitoh 1964, particularly the Mudeer Markaz, while ensuring that official positions are properly articulated, contextualised and presented to the public.

The Grand Chief Imam said this would also minimise the risk of statements being misunderstood, distorted or interpreted outside their intended context.

He urged Rabitoh 1964 to preserve its character as a broad and unifying Islamic platform rather than allowing it to be identified with any particular ideological sect, jurisprudential school or group within the Muslim Ummah.

Akeugberu said the organisation’s positions should be guided by the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, while recognising legitimate differences of opinion in matters of Islamic jurisprudence.

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He specifically cited issues surrounding the commencement and termination of Ramadan, sighting of the crescent moon and whether Sha‘ban should be completed with 30 days as matters requiring knowledge, wisdom, consultation and responsible communication.

According to him, disagreements over such issues should not be allowed to create the impression that Rabitoh 1964 belongs exclusively to a particular sect, creed or ideological tendency.

The Grand Chief Imam also stressed the need for openness and consultation in the affairs of the organisation, rejecting any perception of Rabitoh 1964 as a closed association.

“Islam is an open religion,” the statement said, emphasising the importance of transparency, consultation and collective responsibility in institutions established to serve the Muslim community.

Akeugberu said decisions on matters affecting the Ummah should follow adequate consultation and, once reached, should be presented clearly as the agreed position of the organisation.

He further said Rabitoh 1964 should maintain an effective presence across newspapers, radio, television, online platforms and social media, while responding promptly to misinformation or inaccurate attribution of positions to the organisation.

He said improved communication would strengthen the relationship between the organisation and the wider Muslim Ummah in Yorubaland, promote understanding of its objectives and contribute to the unity and dignity of the Muslim community.

The Grand Chief Imam therefore urged the leadership to constitute a competent and professionally led communication structure capable of translating the decisions and positions of the organisation into clear, responsible and authoritative public messages.

The objective, he said, should be for Rabitoh 1964 to speak with a clear and responsible voice without compromising the legitimate diversity of jurisprudential opinions within the Muslim Ummah.

The statement was issued to journalists by Agunbiade on behalf of the Grand Chief Imam of Oyo Land.

Grand Chief Imam calls for professional communication structure for Rabitoh 1964

FBI investigated people linked to Tinubu, not President — Omokri

Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has acknowledged that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted an investigation involving individuals connected to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but insisted that the Nigerian leader was not the subject of the probe.

Omokri made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, amid renewed controversy over FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) records being sought in a United States court in connection with Tinubu’s past dealings and a 1990s investigation.

He said reports suggesting that the President himself was investigated by the FBI were misleading, arguing that the records being discussed relate to people whose financial activities came under scrutiny.

“There was an investigation. Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not the subject of that investigation,” Omokri said, adding that the President was working as an accountant at the time and had money belonging to clients who were subsequently investigated.

According to him, the funds became part of the investigation because of their connection to the individuals under scrutiny. He said that when the matter was brought to Tinubu’s attention, the then accountant agreed to the forfeiture of the funds.

Omokri stressed that the forfeiture related to the accounts and not to the President personally.

The controversy has intensified following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case filed in the United States by transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who has sought access to records held by US agencies concerning Tinubu.

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The case, filed as Civil Action No. 23-1816 before the US District Court for the District of Columbia, followed FOIA requests submitted in 2022 to several American government agencies.

The FBI and DEA remain involved in the litigation after other agencies were removed from the case following rulings that allowed them, in certain circumstances, to neither confirm nor deny the existence of requested records.

The Presidency has repeatedly maintained that the proceedings are a civil records-disclosure dispute, not a criminal prosecution of Tinubu. It has also stressed that no US court has found the President guilty of criminal wrongdoing.

According to the Presidency, the FBI and DEA have produced hundreds of pages of records in the litigation, with portions withheld or redacted under exemptions provided by US law. The exemptions include protections for grand-jury information, law-enforcement investigations, confidential sources, investigative techniques, attorney-client privilege and personal privacy.

Tinubu was also permitted to participate in the case as an intervenor to protect his privacy interests in the records being sought by Greenspan.

The latest controversy followed the submission of FBI records to US District Judge Beryl Howell on August 28 for review under seal. The materials were submitted ex parte and in camera, meaning they were provided to the judge for private judicial review rather than released publicly.

Omokri, however, argued that the existence of FBI records bearing Tinubu’s name should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a criminal investigation against him.

He referred to a 2003 FBI records check, which he said showed that there was no criminal arrest record, outstanding warrant or similar criminal record against Tinubu at the time.

The ambassador-designate also rejected the characterisation of the documents as evidence that Tinubu had a criminal record in the United States.

He said FBI records can contain information about individuals for several reasons and that the mere existence of a file or reference to a person’s name does not, by itself, establish criminal culpability.

Omokri also questioned the wisdom of releasing all the records publicly, arguing that some of the material could contain sensitive personal information.

The Presidency had earlier explained that Tinubu himself invoked privacy protections under the FOIA process, while insisting that his participation in the case should not be interpreted as an indication that he was facing criminal charges in the United States.

The dispute has nevertheless continued to generate political controversy in Nigeria, particularly as parties and political groups position themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Opposition figures and critics of the administration have repeatedly demanded greater transparency over the records, while supporters of Tinubu have argued that the US court proceedings should not be presented as evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

With the legal dispute still before the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the contents of the records submitted under seal have not been fully made public. The court will ultimately determine what, if any, additional material can be disclosed under US law.

For now, Omokri’s position is that while an FBI investigation involving people connected to Tinubu took place, there is a crucial distinction between that investigation and an allegation that the President himself was the target of a criminal probe.

The ambassador-designate said that distinction was being lost in the political debate surrounding the records.

FBI investigated people linked to Tinubu, not President — Omokri