Commiserates with bereaved families
The lawmaker representing Odigbo Constituency I in the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon. Akoni Ifabiyi Olatunji, has called for a thorough investigation into the deaths of 30 people in Odigbo Local Government Area, allegedly linked to the consumption of poisonous alcoholic substances.
Ifabiyi, while commiserating with the families of the victims, described the deaths as a tragic and irreparable loss to the affected families, friends, communities, youths and the entire Odigbo Local Government Area.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Ajide, the lawmaker urged the Nigeria Police Force, other security agencies, the Ministry of Health and relevant authorities to urgently investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine the actual cause.
He appealed to residents of the local government to remain calm and allow the ongoing investigation to take its course, stressing the need for relevant stakeholders to unravel the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The lawmaker's reaction came amid growing concern over reports of multiple deaths in parts of Odigbo Local Government, including Odigbo Township, Orita Odigbo, Araromi Obu and Ore.
Earlier, the Chairman of Odigbo Local Government,Taiwo Adegoroye, announced an immediate ban on the sale and consumption of locally made alcoholic drinks and substances in the area.
The directive, contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Olatunji Babatunde, followed reports of multiple deaths allegedly associated with the consumption of locally prepared alcoholic substances.
The banned products include locally brewed or prepared alcoholic substances popularly known as Monkey Tail, Spirit, Colos and other similar products.
The local government said the decision was prompted by disturbing reports of deaths among residents, adding that preliminary verbal autopsy assessments by health officials had allegedly linked some of the deaths to the consumption of the substances.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Government has confirmed the deaths and commenced investigations to establish the actual cause.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, confirmed the incident in an interview on Wednesday, saying investigations were ongoing to determine what led to the deaths.
As tension continues to mount in the affected communities, authorities have urged residents to remain calm while investigations continue to establish the source of the suspected poisoning and prevent further loss of lives.
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