Nigeria’s Ondo methanol tragedy: how many more must die before bootleg alcohol is stopped?
A deadly question hanging over Ondo State
How many more lives will be lost before Nigeria’s informal alcohol trade is brought under control? That is the agonising question echoing across south-western Nigeria after at least 48 people died and close to 180 others fell gravely ill from drinking locally brewed alcohol laced with methanol in Ondo State.
The poisonings, concentrated in the Odigbo and Irele local government areas, have left hospitals overwhelmed and communities in mourning. Health authorities and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) confirmed the toll, which continues to cast a shadow over the region.
Monkey Tail: a lethal cocktail hiding in plain sight
Medical and toxicological tests detected massive concentrations of methanol in several batches of seized artisanal drinks, including a widely consumed local brew known as “Monkey Tail”. Methanol is an industrial-grade alcohol normally used as a solvent or fuel, and it is violently toxic to the human body.
Beyond the deaths, dozens of survivors remain hospitalised with irreversible damage. Among the harrowing consequences are permanent blindness and acute kidney failure, conditions that will alter their lives forever.
Fifteen arrests as police hunt clandestine networks
Confronted with the scale of this public health emergency, law enforcement moved swiftly. At least fifteen suspects believed to be involved in the illegal production, adulteration and distribution of the tainted liquor were arrested by Ondo police.
Regulatory teams have stepped up raids on local markets and informal outlets, seizing suspect stock and shutting down underground distilleries. The operation underscores the difficulty of policing a trade that thrives in the shadows.
Authorities urge extreme caution
NAFDAC and the Ondo State Ministry of Health issued a renewed and urgent appeal to residents, warning them to avoid any artisanal alcoholic drink or any beverage sold outside approved distribution channels.
This tragedy once again exposes the severe health dangers linked to the cheap, illicit liquor trade — a recurring problem across several West African regions where such drinks are popular for their low cost.