The death toll from suspected poisoning linked to the consumption of locally brewed alcoholic substances in two communities in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State has risen to 32.

The affected communities are Araromi-Obu and Odigbo, where several residents, mostly youths, reportedly fell ill after consuming substances suspected to be herbal alcoholic drinks.

The Chairman of Odigbo Local Government, Taiwo Adegoroye, disclosed this in a telephone interview with journalists on Friday.

He said an unconfirmed number of victims were still receiving treatment in hospitals in Ore, Araromi-Obu and other private medical facilities in the affected communities.

At least 24 residents had initially been reported dead following consumption of the suspected substance.

Adegoroye disclosed that the seller of the suspected herbal concoction had been arrested by the police for investigation.

He added that the police, Amotekun Corps and other security agencies had commenced a crackdown on herbal concoction sellers across the local government area.

The council chairman said the exact cause of the deaths had yet to be established, noting that the state Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies were investigating the incident.

“It is now a taboo for anyone to sell or trade any herbal concoction either in plastic or sachet and other forms in Odigbo Local Government Area, and anyone caught will be arrested by security agencies,” he said.

Adegoroye said the local government had commenced public enlightenment campaigns involving traditional rulers, Iyalojas and commercial motorists, while radio jingles and social media platforms were also being used to warn residents against the sale and consumption of unregulated herbal concoctions.

He said medical doctors, health practitioners and toxicologists from the state Ministry of Health, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) were conducting investigations to determine the cause of the deaths.

Adegoroye commended residents, security agencies, health practitioners and other relevant bodies for their swift response to the incident.

He also thanked Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, for deploying the Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies to investigate the incident and respond to the situation.