No fewer than 29 people have died after allegedly consuming a suspected contaminated alcoholic beverage in Araromi-Obu and other communities in the Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Awolowo-Ajaka, disclosed this on Friday while briefing journalists in Akure.

Awolowo-Ajaka said 60 cases had so far been recorded, with three victims currently receiving treatment in hospitals and 27 others under medical observation.

He said 95 per cent of those affected were males aged between 16 and 55 years.

According to him, the affected communities include Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu, Newtown, Odole, Okele and Oniparaga.

The commissioner said the victims exhibited symptoms including headache, body pain, general weakness, visual disturbance, difficulty breathing and altered consciousness.

He added that some of the victims deteriorated rapidly, leading to death within a few hours.

Awolowo-Ajaka said the pattern of illness and the reported history of exposure had raised strong epidemiological suspicion that the victims were exposed to a toxic alcoholic substance.

He, however, stressed that the exact cause of the deaths had not been established through laboratory testing.

“The pattern of illness and reported history of exposure have raised strong epidemiological suspicion of exposure to a probable toxic alcoholic substance. However, we are yet to have laboratory evidence of the cause of the deaths,” he said.

The commissioner disclosed that 36 blood and urine samples had been collected from victims for laboratory analysis, while samples of the suspected alcoholic substances had also been submitted for toxicological investigation.

He said the investigation was being conducted in collaboration with relevant regulatory and security agencies.

As part of measures to contain the situation, the state government has imposed a temporary ban on the production and sale of locally brewed alcoholic herbal beverages in the affected local government area.

Awolowo-Ajaka added that several suspects found selling the substance had been taken into custody.

He urged residents to avoid alcoholic products from unlicensed sources and seek immediate medical attention if they experience blurred vision, difficulty breathing, sudden weakness, confusion or loss of consciousness after consuming alcohol.

The commissioner advised residents to take anyone exhibiting such symptoms to the General Hospital, Ore, or the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ondo, without delay.

He assured the public that the state government was working with national and international partners to identify the exact cause of the deaths and prevent further loss of life.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, Hon. Osuolale Niyi Yusuf, has promised to sustain quality representation and development in the constituency if elected.

Osuolale made the promise on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital while speaking with journalists on his ambition and his plans for the constituency.

The former Education Secretary and councillor said his focus would be on effective legislation, people-oriented representation and the facilitation of projects that would address the immediate needs of the people.

According to him,  representation should not be limited to attending legislative sessions, but must also involve listening to the people, understanding their challenges and ensuring that their concerns receive attention at the appropriate level.

The APC chieftain said people of Ibarapa East/Ido need a representative who would remain close to them and continue to engage with them after elections as it is presently witnessed.

“I want to assure the people of Ibarapa East/Ido that if given the opportunity, I will give them quality and effective representation. My interest is to represent the people well and ensure that projects and interventions are directed towards areas where they are most needed,” he said.

Osuolale also acknowledged the work of the incumbent member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, saying that his performance had created a standard that any successor would have to respect.

“Hon. Aderemi Oseni has set a standard that must not be lowered. Whoever is coming after him must be prepared to sustain the quality of representation and, where possible, improve on it,” he said.

The APC candidate said his experience in public service had given him an understanding of the importance of consultation and accountability in governance, stressing that he would make the people central to his legislative activities.

He identified education, infrastructure, youth development, women empowerment , health care services among others as areas that deserved continued attention, adding that he would work with community leaders and other stakeholders to attract meaningful development to Ibarapa East/Ido.

Osuolale therefore appealed to the people of the constituency to support his aspiration, promising that, if elected, he would regard the mandate as a responsibility to serve rather than an opportunity for personal gain.

A 25-year-old woman has allegedly been hacked to death by her husband, a butcher, during a domestic dispute in the Dalimore area of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday when the couple went to the residence of a friend of the deceased’s father, who had offered to mediate in their unresolved marital dispute.

According to sources, the situation, which was initially intended to settle the couple’s differences, turned violent after an argument reportedly broke out between the husband and his wife.

The butcher was alleged to have attacked his wife repeatedly with a machete, leaving her with severe injuries.

She reportedly died from the injuries sustained during the attack.

The suspect was said to have fled the scene immediately after the incident, while the victim’s remains were reportedly taken away.

Speaking on the incident, a cousin of the deceased, identified as Yusuf, alleged that the woman had been planning to leave the marriage after becoming suspicious that some of her clothes and underwear were disappearing from the house.

Yusuf said the deceased had planned to travel to her sister’s residence on Thursday, September 10, as part of her plan to leave the marriage, but told her husband that she was going to her sister’s place for work.

He alleged that while she was preparing to leave Ado-Ekiti, the wife of her father’s friend invited her to the residence, informing her that her husband wanted to see her.

According to him, the woman went to the residence on Wednesday morning, unaware that her husband would also be there.

Yusuf said an attempt to resolve the couple’s differences subsequently degenerated into a physical confrontation, during which the suspect allegedly attacked the deceased with a machete.

He added that some people had been taken into police custody in connection with the incident, while the whereabouts of the suspect remained unknown.

Yusuf also alleged that the suspect fled with the deceased’s mobile phone, which the family believed could contain information that might assist the police in their investigation.

“We want him to be found and arrested. We want justice for our daughter. Her parents are in pain, and my family is in serious agony. She didn’t deserve this,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, the Ekiti State Police Command had yet to confirm the incident.

The circumstances surrounding the woman’s death and the whereabouts of the suspect could not be independently verified.