Ondo Health Crisis: NAFDAC Confirms 48 Fatalities from Toxic Herbal Concoction

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confirmed a tragic outbreak of severe illness and deaths in parts of Ondo State, Nigeria, directly linked to the consumption of locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions. As of September 17, 182 cases of severe illness and 48 confirmed deaths have been recorded, though these figures remain subject to ongoing verification as surveillance and investigations continue.

The affected communities are primarily located in the Odigbo Local Government Area, including New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu, and Oniparaga, with Odigbo town and Araromi-Obu recording the highest impact. Cases have also been reported in the Irele Local Government Area. Among the 182 recorded cases, 90 individuals were admitted to hospitals and subsequently discharged, while 31 were treated as outpatients. Six people remain hospitalised, and five victims have been rendered totally blind, with two others suffering partial blindness.

Patients reportedly developed a range of distressing symptoms, including headaches, generalised weakness and body pain, visual disturbances, difficulty breathing, and altered consciousness. Some cases deteriorated rapidly, prompting urgent public health attention. NAFDAC Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed these details in a statement, noting that the incident was first reported in early September after residents fell ill and died following the consumption of the suspected liquid substances.

NAFDAC’s preliminary laboratory investigations have raised grave concerns regarding the contents of these concoctions. The agency subjected 15 unlabelled samples of the herbal concoctions to rigorous examination, including toxicity testing and chemical analysis. Disturbingly, preliminary findings revealed that 11 of the 15 samples (over 73%) tested positive for cannabis indica. Crucially, gas chromatography confirmed the presence of high concentrations of methanol, a highly toxic substance known to cause blindness, organ failure, and death.

Further acute oral toxicity tests conducted on the samples recorded approximately 50% mortality among laboratory mice in six of the 15 samples analysed. This finding significantly indicates the potent toxic potential within these concoctions. NAFDAC, however, emphasised that these laboratory findings are preliminary, and further confirmatory analyses are being conducted to establish the precise concentration of methanol and identify any other potentially toxic substances present.

In response to this alarming public health crisis, NAFDAC has taken swift action. Fifteen suspects have been arrested in connection with the suspected production, sale, and distribution of the implicated alcoholic and herbal beverages. Surveillance, case management, investigation, and risk-control measures are actively ongoing across the affected communities, in coordination with relevant public health authorities. NAFDAC strongly warns the public against the purchase or consumption of unlicensed, unregistered, and locally prepared alcoholic or herbal concoctions whose contents and safety profiles are unknown. Anyone experiencing sudden visual disturbances, severe headaches, difficulty breathing, or altered consciousness after consuming such substances is urged to seek immediate medical attention.

This incident underscores the serious menace posed by unregulated herbal concoctions in Nigeria, which are often hawked on streets and market places and aggressively promoted on social media. These substances have frequently been linked to severe health risks, including breathing problems, kidney and liver stress, and heavy metal poisoning. Weak regulation, aggressive marketing, and widespread self-medication continue to fuel their proliferation. A previous investigative report in June 2023, jointly published by PREMIUM TIMES and Dubawa, highlighted similar dangers with a concoction known as “Sacra Herbs” or “Baba Aisha Herbal Medicine.” That investigation revealed toxic components capable of causing acute kidney, liver, and lung injuries, as well as cancer, produced under highly unhygienic conditions with invalid or expired NAFDAC registration numbers, illustrating persistent regulatory failures in ensuring public safety.