48 Deaths and 7 Blindness Cases Linked to Methanol Poisoning in Ondo State Alcoholic Concoctions
At least 48 people died and 7 suffered blindness after consuming locally prepared alcoholic and herbal drinks in Ondo State.
In Brief
- •At least 48 people died and 7 suffered blindness after consuming locally prepared alcoholic and herbal drinks in Ondo State.
- •182 cases were recorded in Odigbo and Irele local governments, with 90 hospitalized and 31 treated as outpatients.
- •Laboratory tests confirmed high concentrations of methanol in 15 unlabeled samples, and 11 contained Cannabis indica.
- •NAFDAC arrested 15 individuals linked to the production, sale and distribution of the contaminated beverages.
- •The incident first emerged in early September and has prompted immediate regulatory intervention by NAFDAC.
Why It Matters
The outbreak underscores the public health risks posed by unregulated alcoholic beverages in Nigeria, where methanol contamination can cause severe illness, blindness and death. The scale of the incident—48 fatalities and multiple blindness cases—highlights the urgent need for stricter enforcement of food and drug safety regulations and public awareness campaigns to prevent future tragedies.
Key Details
- Total Deaths
- 48
- Blindness Cases
- 7 (5 total, 2 partial)
- Total Cases Recorded
- 182
- Hospitalised and Discharged
- 90
- Outpatients Treated
- 31
- Samples Collected
- 15
Context & Background
Methanol contamination in homemade alcoholic beverages has previously led to fatalities in Nigeria, prompting regulatory scrutiny.
Original Reporting & Sources
VNews is an independent briefing product. Original reporting remains credited to the following publishers:
This brief was synthesized automatically using attributed third-party reporting. VNews is a digital news publication produced under the VContent Group brand and operated by Francis Vincent Sunday in Ghana, independent from the publishers cited above. Read our AI Transparency Policy and Editorial & Corrections Policy.