Blessing Bello, Reporting
THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has attributed the deaths recorded in an outbreak in Ondo State to high concentrations of methanol in locally produced herbal and alcoholic drinks.
The agency said laboratory analysis of samples collected from affected communities confirmed the presence of high concentrations of methanol, a highly toxic substance capable of causing blindness, organ failure and death when ingested.
The outbreak, first reported in early September 2026 in parts of Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, has so far affected 182 people, with 48 deaths recorded.
In a statement signed by NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, the agency said 11 of the 15 samples analysed also tested positive for Cannabis indica.
The affected communities include New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Oniparaga, with Odigbo Town and Araromi-Obu reportedly recording the highest concentration of cases.
NAFDAC said that, as of September 17, 2026, 90 of the affected persons had been admitted and subsequently discharged, while six remained hospitalised. Another 31 were treated as outpatients.
The agency added that five people had become totally blind, while two others suffered partial blindness.
Symptoms reported among victims included headache, generalised body weakness and pain, visual disturbances, difficulty breathing and altered consciousness. Some patients reportedly deteriorated rapidly.
According to NAFDAC, acute oral toxicity tests conducted on the samples resulted in critical illness among laboratory mice, with approximately 50 per cent mortality recorded in six of the 15 samples analysed.
The agency said chemical screening using Gas Chromatography further confirmed the presence of high concentrations of methanol in the drinks.
“The combination of high mortality in animal testing and confirmed methanol contamination strongly suggests that the samples pose a serious public health risk,” NAFDAC stated.
The agency said the findings required immediate regulatory intervention to prevent further harm.
NAFDAC also disclosed that 15 people had been arrested in connection with the suspected production, sale and distribution of the implicated locally produced alcoholic and herbal beverages.
However, the agency said further confirmatory testing was still being conducted to establish the precise methanol concentrations and determine whether other toxic substances were involved.
NAFDAC warned that methanol in drinks intended for human consumption poses a serious health risk.
“Methanol in oral preparations is extremely dangerous, and ingestion can cause severe poisoning leading to blindness, organ failure, and death,” the agency said.
The latest figures represent an increase from the initial death toll of 31 reported when the outbreak emerged, comprising 20 deaths in Odigbo Town and 11 in Araromi-Obu.
NAFDAC urged continued caution as investigations and confirmatory laboratory tests proceed.
