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At least 49 people have died, and 182 others remain hospitalised following suspected alcohol poisoning in Ondo State, the state’s health commissioner Banji Ajaka confirmed on Friday.
Health authorities traced the outbreak to two traditional ceremonies in Odigbo district, where guests consumed “Monkey Tail,” a locally brewed gin.
The casualty count has risen sharply since officials first reported 29 deaths during the week following the September 5 events.
Ondo State Health Commissioner Ajaka stated that the rapid onset of severe symptoms—including blindness, organ failure, and altered consciousness—points strongly to methanol contamination, though laboratory results remain pending.
Police have arrested one suspect in connection with the distribution of the unregulated brew.
The tragedy highlights the ongoing dangers of cheap, illicitly produced alcohol, which remains widely popular across many Nigerian communities.
