Methanol-tainted Nigeria drink kills 48, 182 made ill: government

Nigeria's food and drug regulator reported on Saturday that alcoholic concoctions laced with methanol had claimed the lives of 48 people and left 182 others ill in recent weeks. The fatalities occurred in three districts of southwestern Ondo state after residents consumed the locally brewed mixture, colloquially known as "Monkey Tail".

Methanol is a highly toxic substance that can lead to organ failure and blindness. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) disclosed that five individuals had become completely blind while two others had suffered partial vision loss. The first reports of poisoning emerged earlier in the month, and the death toll has been steadily increasing since then.

Authorities have apprehended 15 people for their alleged involvement in the production and sale of the tainted drink. Banji Ajaka, Ondo state's commissioner for health, stated that the cases were reported in the Odigbo and Irele local government areas. A local resident, Sola Adebayo, 32 years old, recounted his experience: "I took like two shots and I went out on Friday.

On Saturday, I noticed that I could not see." Ajaka emphasized that consuming locally made alcohol, especially in rural areas where it is cheaper and less regulated, can have devastating consequences. The Nigeria Food and Drug Administration stated that 48 deaths and 182 cases were recorded after people bought and consumed locally prepared "alcoholic and herbal concoctions".

Laboratory tests revealed the presence of high concentrations of methanol and the indica strain of cannabis in samples of the suspected concoction.