NB247
The deaths of no fewer than 27 perons have been reported in some communities in Ondo State, with the state government and the police grapppling to ascertain the actual cause of the deaths.
In Odigbo Local Council Area the death of 24 persons, mostly youths, were reported to have occurred on Saturday.
Locals suspected poisoning linked to the consumption of sachet concoctions and locally brewed alcoholic drinks.
It was gathered that the deaths, which occurred across Odigbo and Araromi-Obu communities, have prompted the local government to impose an immediate ban on the sale and consumption of locally produced alcoholic beverages.
Several other victims are said to be currently receiving treatment in hospitals, with medical personnel working to stabilise those affected by the suspected poisoning.
A similar tragedy was also reported on Sunday when three siblings were found lifeless in a river within the precinct of the Owena Barracks, in Akure.
The victims were identified as 11-year-old twins Joshua and Jacob Jonah, and their five-year-old sister, Blessing Jonah.
The children reportedly accompanied their father, Samuel Jonah, to the farm on Friday, September 4, 2026, but their lifeless bodies were found in the water the next day.
On the deaths in Odigbo LGA, the Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Banji Ajaka, confirmed the incident and disclosed that investigations were underway to establish the actual cause of the deaths.
The commissioner, however, did not disclose the specific substance suspected to have caused the fatalities, stressing that medical and health officials were expected to conduct further assessments in the affected communities.
Mr Ajaka said government was taking the matter seriously and would provide more details after the ongoing investigation had established the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Meanwhikr the Ondo State Police Command said it has taken note of reports concerning the deaths of some residents in parts of Odigbo Local Government Area, including Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Orita New Town, under circumstances suspected to be connected with possible poisoning.
Accordong to the command’s spokesperson, Jimoh Abayomi, the police command, in collaboration with the Ondo State Government and relevant health authorities, has commenced a comprehensive investigation into the incidents with a view to determining the actual cause of the reported deaths.
“Police personnel including Police Medical Services are working closely with officials of the Ondo State Ministry of Health and the Odigbo Local Government health authorities in the collection of relevant information and evidence, while medical and toxicological examinations are being conducted to ascertain the substance, if any, responsible for the fatalities,” he said.
“At this stage, the Command wishes to caution members of the public against spreading unverified information or attributing the deaths to any particular substance, as the investigation and laboratory analyses are still ongoing. The actual number of casualties and the precise cause of the deaths will be established through the ongoing investigation.”
The Police Command further advised residents of the affected communities to remain calm and cooperate with the authorities by providing useful information that may assist the investigation.
“Members of the public are also urged to refrain from consuming unregulated or suspicious alcoholic and herbal preparations pending the outcome of the investigation,” Mr Abayomi added.
“The Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, CP Felix Ohagwu, psc, mnips, mspsp, has assured members of the public that the Command is committed to unraveling the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incidents and will take appropriate action against anyone found culpable.”
On the death of the three siblings, the Police Command said it had commenced an investigation into the deaths of three children.
Shedding light on the development, Mr Abayomi said the children left their father in the farm to return home. Their father reportedly discovered that they were missing after he arrived home.
A search operation was subsequently launched, leading to the discovery of the bodies of the three children on Saturday, September 5, near the bank of a small river on the farm.
“The Command is diligently documenting all available facts and circumstances surrounding the unfortunate occurrence, with a view to establishing the exact circumstances leading to the children’s deaths.,” he said.
“Ohagwu expressed condolences to the bereaved family and assured them of the command’s commitment to uncovering the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The police also urged parents and guardians to exercise greater vigilance over children, particularly when they are near rivers, streams, ponds and other bodies of water.”
Meanwhile, the father of the children, Samuel Jonah, said the circumstances surrounding their deaths were too suspicious to be dismissed as drowning.
According to the grieving father, the children’s bodies were neither sufficiently wet nor did they contain water in their stomachs when they were discovered.
He also said he observed blood coming from their ears and from the body of his youngest daughter.
Mr Jonah, who has lived in Akure since 2003 and works as a farmer and security worker within the barracks, said he had routinely taken his children to the farm without incident before the tragedy.
He said the children accompanied him and their mother to the farm on Friday, September 4, adding that he left the farm around noon to collect his salary before returning later.
He explained that he and his wife subsequently left the farm, instructing the children to play around the area and return home by 6 p.m.
“When I returned, I told them that their mother and I would be going home, and that they could continue playing around but should return home at 6 p.m. Their mother and I later went somewhere. By 6 p.m., we returned home, but I did not see my children,” he said.
The father said he became increasingly worried when the children had not returned home by 8 p.m.
“I began to think that something was wrong. I took my motorcycle and rushed to the farm,” he added.
Jonah said he reported the matter to the Military Police at the barracks and joined the search for the children, which continued into Saturday morning.
He said the family also checked their church and contacted their pastor in the hope that the children might have gone there.
According to him, the search eventually led to the discovery of the bodies after a soldier called him while he was praying and directed him to return to the barracks.