“If God Saves Me, I’ll Never Drink Again!” — Blinded Survivor Cries Out as Death Toll Hits 30 in Ondo Poisonous Local Gin Tragedy

What began as a routine evening of relaxation among friends in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State has turned into a grim national tragedy, with the death toll climbing past 30 following the mass consumption of toxic, locally brewed alcoholic concoctions.

Communities across Odigbo town, Newtown, Orita, and Araromi-Obu have been plunged into deep mourning as dozens of young residents continue to battle for their lives in regional hospitals. Medical personnel have reported severe clinical symptoms among victims, including sudden dizziness, loss of coordination, respiratory distress, and abrupt loss of vision.

Among those undergoing intensive medical care is 32-year-old Shola Adebayo, who recounted how a casual outing to a local spot transformed into a nightmare. Adebayo had consumed a couple of shots of an unregulated local gin mixture commonly referred to as “Monkey Tail”. By the following morning, his vision had completely failed him, prompting an emergency dash to the hospital.

“I took Monkey Tail. On Saturday, I discovered I couldn’t see very well, so I called my sister and I was taken to the hospital,” Adebayo recalled from his hospital bed, struggling with his sight. Visibly shaken by the ordeal, he pleaded: “If God saves me, I swear I will never take any drinks again. Even beer, I won’t take.”

Families across the district are counting devastating losses. Community members reported that several vibrant young men, including individuals with no prior history of illness, collapsed and died within hours of ingesting the substance.

Preliminary investigations led by health experts, toxicologists, and officials from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) point to acute poisoning from adulterated local brews laced with hazardous levels of ethanol and unverified chemical additives.

The Chairman of Odigbo Local Government, Adegoroye Taiwo, confirmed that security operatives have apprehended a male suspect allegedly linked to the supply and distribution of the killer mixtures. In response to the crisis, the local council has slammed an immediate, total ban on the sale and consumption of unapproved local alcoholic drinks and sachet herbal mixtures, directing law enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute any violators.

While the monarch of the Odigbo Kingdom, Oba Dr. Rufus Akinrimade, has strongly dismissed circulating rumors linking the mass deaths to cultural taboos—reiterating that the tragedy is purely a case of alcohol poisoning—health advocates are intensifying campaigns to warn rural and semi-urban youths against consuming unregulated substances of unknown origins.