Odigbo Deaths: Ondo Govt Moves To Unravel Cause, Warns Against Unregulated Alcohol

The Ondo State Government has commenced moves to unravel the circumstances surrounding the mysterious deaths recorded in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state, even as it has urged residents to exercise extreme caution over the consumption of locally produced alcoholic beverages and herbal concoctions.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Ondo State Governor on Public Enlightenment, Olufemi Lawson, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said the government was deeply concerned about the unfortunate incident and had activated relevant authorities to establish the actual cause of the deaths.

Lawson said while reports had linked the deaths to the consumption of locally produced alcoholic substances, it would be premature to draw a definitive conclusion until medical, toxicological and other relevant investigations had been completed.

According to him, several factors could potentially be responsible for the incident and all possible angles must therefore be thoroughly investigated.

He said particular attention should be paid to the production process, source of the alcoholic beverages, possible contamination or adulteration, storage conditions and the distribution channels through which the substances reached consumers.

The SSA, however, drew attention to the serious danger posed by methanol contamination in improperly distilled alcoholic beverages, noting that methanol is a highly toxic substance capable of causing blindness, neurological damage, organ failure and death.

He stressed that the possibility of methanol poisoning should be treated as a serious line of investigation, while cautioning that it should not be regarded as the established cause of the Odigbo deaths until scientific investigations confirm it.

Lawson called on residents of Odigbo and adjoining communities to immediately exercise the highest level of vigilance and avoid consuming any locally produced alcoholic beverage or herbal preparation whose source and production process could not be verified.

He also urged public and private health institutions across the state, particularly those serving communities in the Southern Senatorial District, to remain on heightened alert for suspected cases of poisoning and promptly report unusual symptoms or clusters of illness to the appropriate health authorities.

He said the development required a massive grassroots awareness campaign involving traditional rulers, community leaders, religious institutions, market associations, youth organisations, health workers and civil society groups.

According to him, effective public enlightenment is particularly important because victims of toxic alcohol poisoning may initially mistake early symptoms for ordinary illness, thereby delaying medical intervention.

The Governor’s aide said the government was also interested in identifying the people behind the production and distribution of any substance eventually established to have caused the deaths.

He noted that investigators would have to determine whether the tragedy resulted from negligence, improper production, deliberate adulteration, illegal distribution or other factors.

He assured residents that the government would not allow the matter to be swept under the carpet, stressing that anyone found culpable would be made to face the law.

Lawson said Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa had remained committed to protecting the lives and welfare of the people and would continue to deploy the machinery of government towards ensuring the safety of residents.

He appealed to citizens to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information capable of creating unnecessary panic.

He also urged residents who may have consumed suspicious alcoholic or herbal substances and subsequently developed symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, confusion, blurred vision, weakness, difficulty breathing or loss of consciousness to seek urgent medical attention.

The SSA emphasised that the immediate priority was to prevent further deaths, identify the cause of the incident and ensure that appropriate measures were taken to protect residents from any further danger.

He said the Aiyedatiwa administration would continue to work with relevant health, security and regulatory agencies to get to the root of the incident and strengthen measures to prevent a recurrence.

“The safety and welfare of the people remain paramount to Governor Aiyedatiwa. Government has swung into action, and every necessary avenue will be explored to establish what happened, identify those responsible where wrongdoing is established, and protect our people from further harm,” Lawson said.