Due to the recent spate of deaths recorded in association with local gin, ogogoro, consumption in both Rivers and Ondo States, the Federal Government has banned it’s consumption nationwide on Monday, June 8, 2015.
Dr. Paul Orhii, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), while addressing newsmen said that the death of 38 men in Rivers State was the result of the ogogoro they had consumed. The same locally made gin that left 18 people dead at Ode-Irele in Ondo State.
According to the NAFDAC boss, the high risks associated with gin’s intake has made it necessary to “warn the public to desist from the consumption of unregistered locally made spirits (Ogogoro) and other unregistered bitters.”
He also asserted that the government “would confiscate all illegally brewed alcoholic beverages” in the country. He recommended that “immediate reporting and evacuation of victims to the nearest tertiary health institution as quick intervention can save lives.”
He revealed that in a bid to ascertain the cause of the deaths in Ode-Irele, the NAFDAC team accompanied by a World Health Organisation (WHO), official, the Ondo State Commissioner for Health and Director Of Diagnostic Services visited the place to get first-hand information during that time.
He also said, “A preliminary investigation by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and WHO, ruled out any infectious diseases and confirmed the possibility of poisoning as the cause, and in turn, advised NAFDAC to conduct further investigation.
“The symptoms suffered by victims included vomiting, abdominal pain, blurred vision, headache, dizziness and loss of consciousness with subsequent sudden deaths of 18 victims.”
The NAFDAC boss was joined by Prof. Abdulrahman Nasidi, the Director of NCDC, while explaining that from their investigations, all indications pointed to the fact that “these symptoms are the hallmark signs of methanol poisoning.”
“The results of the laboratory investigation revealed methanol toxicity. Five samples were found to contain high concentration of methanol in them. Blood methanol concentration above 1500-2000mg/L will certainly lead to death in untreated patients,” he concluded.
