The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a suspect in connection with the production of alcoholic substances suspected to contain methanol, following the sudden deaths of several residents in parts of Odigbo Local Government Area.
The suspect was apprehended amid investigations into reported deaths linked to the consumption of suspected contaminated alcoholic drinks in Araromi-Obu and neighbouring communities.
The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday evening.
Jimoh said the suspect was assisting investigators in establishing the source and composition of the substances, adding that samples suspected to contain methanol had been recovered and submitted for forensic analysis.
He explained that the examination would determine the exact composition of the substances and establish whether they were responsible for the reported deaths.
The police spokesperson also disclosed that the remains of the deceased were undergoing medical and forensic procedures to provide further evidence on the actual cause of death.
According to him, operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department had arrested 14 additional suspects, comprising persons allegedly involved in the sale and consumption of the drinks and concoctions at various locations within the affected communities.
The development follows the Ondo State Government’s confirmation that 29 people had died after reportedly consuming a contaminated alcoholic beverage in Araromi-Obu and other communities in Odigbo LGA.
The State Commissioner for Health, Banji Awolowo-Ajaka, said 60 cases had been recorded in connection with the incident.
He disclosed that, aside from the 29 fatalities, three victims were receiving treatment in hospitals, while 27 others remained under medical observation.
The commissioner said about 95 per cent of those affected were males between the ages of 16 and 55, with cases reported mainly in Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu, Newtown, Odole, Okele and Oniparaga communities.
He listed symptoms associated with the reported cases to include headaches, body pains, severe weakness, visual impairment, breathing difficulties and altered consciousness.
Awolowo-Ajaka added that some of the affected persons deteriorated rapidly, with some reportedly dying within hours of developing the symptoms.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, has ordered sustained enforcement against the production, distribution and sale of unapproved, adulterated or potentially hazardous alcoholic substances across Ondo State.
The Police Command said the investigation would continue as authorities work to determine the exact cause of the deaths and identify all persons connected to the distribution of the suspected contaminated substances.
