Death Toll Rises in Ondo After Suspected Poisonous Drink

At least 24 people have died in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria, after consuming a locally brewed herbal alcoholic mixture popularly known as Monkey Tail, and the local government chairman says the toll has since risen to more than 30, with about 50 others receiving treatment in hospitals. The deaths were recorded in two communities, Araromi Obu and Odigbo town, after residents consumed the substance on a Saturday at different locations. Eight people died in Araromi Obu and 16 in Odigbo town, according to Odigbo Local Government Chairman Taiwo Adegoroye, who confirmed the initial toll of 24. Some of those who drank the mixture later became unconscious, while others died after returning home or in their sleep, according to a source in the affected area, who acknowledged it had not been conclusively established that the substance caused the deaths. Adegoroye said authorities had yet to ascertain the cause, noting that a team from the state Ministry of Health was expected to conduct tests on the deceased.