The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has warned Nigerians against consuming unlicensed alcoholic and herbal concoctions after laboratory findings linked suspected products to a deadly outbreak in Ondo State.
The agency says 48 people have died and 182 others have fallen ill in the affected communities as of September 17, 2026. Seven people have also reportedly lost their sight, while the incident has spread from Odigbo Local Government Area to Irele, with investigations and verification of the figures still underway.
According to NAFDAC, the affected communities include New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Oniparaga, with Odigbo Town and Araromi-Obu recording the highest impact. Ninety patients were admitted and later discharged, 31 received outpatient treatment, while six remained hospitalised.
Laboratory examination has raised serious concerns about the substances involved. NAFDAC says 11 of 15 unlabelled samples tested positive for Cannabis indica, while gas chromatography detected high concentrations of methanol, a toxic substance associated with blindness, organ failure and death. The agency says further tests are being conducted to determine the precise concentration and identify any other toxic agents.
The health effects reported among victims include headaches, general weakness and body pain, visual problems, breathing difficulties and altered consciousness. NAFDAC says some patients deteriorated rapidly, while acute toxicity tests on laboratory mice recorded about 50 percent mortality in six of the samples examined, indicating significant toxic potential.
Regulatory and security responses are now underway, with 15 people arrested over the suspected production, sale and distribution of the implicated drinks. NAFDAC says surveillance, treatment and risk-control measures are continuing in collaboration with relevant public health authorities, as officials work to establish the full extent and source of the outbreak.
The agency is urging anyone who develops sudden visual problems, severe headache, breathing difficulty or altered consciousness after consuming such substances to seek medical attention immediately. NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has expressed condolences to affected families and assured the public that regulatory action is being taken as investigations continue.
