Ondo State Herbal Drink Deaths Rise to 27, Crackdown Begins

The death toll in Ondo State has increased to 27 following the consumption of substances suspected to be herbal drinks by residents of Odigbo Local Government Area. Initially, 24 deaths were reported, with eight fatalities in Araromi Obu and 16 in Odigbo town.

Taiwo Adegoroye, the Chairman of Odigbo LGA, confirmed the rise in deaths on Thursday, stating that the situation has improved due to the intervention of medical teams from both the state and local governments. Adegoroye emphasized that without this proactive response, the death toll could have been higher.

In response to the crisis, a task force has begun enforcing a ban on the sale of herbal drinks, conducting inspections in parks, markets, and streets, leading to the seizure of several products. Environmental and health teams from the state government are actively investigating the situation, with expectations that the issue will soon be resolved.