Ondo Methanol Poisoning Deaths: 48 Killed as NAFDAC Finds Toxic Alcohol in Local Drinks

The Ondo methanol poisoning deaths have reached 48 after laboratory tests linked the outbreak to dangerously high levels of methanol in locally prepared alcoholic and herbal drinks. The development has shifted the focus from the initial mystery surrounding the deaths to a wider question about how unregulated drinks are produced, sold and consumed in Nigerian communities.

NAFDAC said the outbreak, first reported in early September in parts of Odigbo Local Government Area, has affected 182 people. Of those, 90 patients have recovered after hospital treatment, while six remain hospitalised and 31 were treated as outpatients. Five people have reportedly lost their sight completely and two others suffered partial blindness.

What NAFDAC Found in the Drinks

The latest NAFDAC-Ondo toxic alcohol report provides the clearest evidence yet about what caused the crisis. The agency analysed 15 samples collected from the affected communities and found high concentrations of methanol, a toxic substance that can cause severe poisoning, blindness, organ failure and death when consumed.

Eleven of the 15 samples also tested positive for Cannabis indica. NAFDAC said toxicity testing on the samples produced serious results, with approximately 50 percent mortality recorded among test animals exposed to six of the samples.

The affected communities include New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Oniparaga. Earlier investigations had already found that many victims experienced headaches, weakness, visual problems, breathing difficulties and altered consciousness before their conditions deteriorated rapidly.

Why Unregulated Drinks Are Now Under Scrutiny

The crisis exposes the danger of alcoholic drinks and herbal concoctions whose ingredients and production processes are difficult for consumers to verify.

The poisonous alcoholic drinks in Ondo State had initially triggered a police investigation because authorities had not established the precise cause of death. Police later arrested a suspected producer and several other people as investigators examined the source, production, distribution and composition of the drinks.

The Ondo State Government also moved to restrict the production and sale of unverified alcoholic drinks and substances after the first deaths were reported.

What Happens Next?

The immediate challenge is preventing more people from consuming contaminated products while investigators trace how the methanol entered the drinks and whether other products in circulation are affected.

The scale of the outbreak also puts pressure on regulators and security agencies to identify unlicensed producers and distributors before similar incidents spread to other communities.

For residents, the latest NAFDAC Ondo toxic alcohol report makes the situation clearer, but it does not end the investigation. Authorities still need to establish who produced the contaminated drinks, how they reached consumers and whether failures in regulation or enforcement allowed the products to circulate.