24 Die After Consuming Suspected Herbal Concoction in Ondo, Calls Mount for NAFDAC Action

At least 24 people have died in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State after reportedly consuming a locally prepared herbal or alcoholic substance, with several others currently receiving medical attention.
The deaths were recorded in Araromi-Obu and Odigbo town, where eight people reportedly died in Araromi-Obu and 16 in Odigbo. The Ondo State Government has commenced an investigation, while medical authorities work to establish the exact cause of the fatalities.
The tragedy is coming amidst growing calls for the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, to intensify enforcement against unregistered, adulterated and potentially dangerous herbal preparations and locally produced alcoholic substances.
The calls are likely to intensify following the scale of the deaths and concerns over the availability and consumption of unregulated products. NAFDAC’s own regulatory framework requires herbal medicines and dietary supplements to be registered before they are manufactured, advertised, sold or distributed in Nigeria.
NAFDAC has also recently warned producers over violations of alcohol regulations, with the agency saying it was considering sanctions against manufacturers that continued to disregard regulatory requirements.
However, health authorities have urged the public to avoid premature conclusions. Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, said officials from the state government, NAFDAC, the World Health Organisation and other relevant agencies were already conducting investigations. He cautioned that laboratory analysis and medical examinations must establish whether the substance consumed was responsible for the deaths.
The incident has therefore renewed questions about the effectiveness of surveillance and enforcement at the grassroots, particularly in communities where locally brewed alcoholic drinks and unregulated herbal mixtures are widely available.
For many Nigerians, the immediate demand is not only for an explanation of what happened in Ondo but also for stronger preventive regulation, rapid testing of suspected products, prosecution of anyone found responsible, and greater protection of consumers from dangerous unregistered substances.
The Ondo deaths should consequently serve as a warning that regulatory agencies cannot afford to wait for tragedies before acting.