The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a suspected producer of substances believed to contain methanol following the sudden deaths of about 30 residents of Araromi-Obu and other communities in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.
The suspect, whose identity was not disclosed, was arrested after the police commenced an investigation into the deaths reportedly linked to the consumption of suspected contaminated alcoholic drinks and concoctions.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday evening.
Jimoh said the suspect was assisting the police with the investigation, adding that substances suspected to contain methanol had also been recovered.
He said the recovered substances had been subjected to further investigation and forensic examination to determine their exact composition and establish whether they were linked to the reported deaths.
The police spokesperson added that the bodies of the deceased were also undergoing medical and forensic procedures to establish the actual cause of death.
He said, “The outcome of these examinations is expected to provide further medical evidence regarding the actual cause of the deaths.”
Jimoh further disclosed that operatives of the state Criminal Investigation Department had arrested 14 other suspects comprising alleged sellers and consumers of the drinks and concoctions at different locations in the affected communities.
The development came days after the Ondo State Government confirmed that 29 people had died following the suspected consumption of contaminated alcoholic beverages in Araromi-Obu and other communities in Odigbo LGA.
The state Commissioner for Health, Banji Awolowo-Ajaka, who disclosed this on Friday, said 60 cases had so far been recorded.
According to him, three of the affected persons were receiving treatment in hospitals, while 27 others were under medical observation.
The commissioner said about 95 per cent of those affected were males aged between 16 and 55.
He listed the affected communities as Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu, Newtown, Odole, Okele and Oniparaga.
Awolowo-Ajaka said the victims presented symptoms including headache, body pain, general weakness, visual impairment, difficulty in breathing and altered consciousness.
He added that some of the patients deteriorated rapidly and died within a few hours.
Following the development, the Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, directed sustained enforcement against the production, distribution and sale of unapproved, adulterated or otherwise dangerous alcoholic substances across the state.
The police said the investigation was ongoing, while the forensic examination of the recovered substances and the remains of the deceased would help determine the exact cause of the deaths.
