Ondo police detain suspected herbal drink maker linked to 29 deaths

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a man suspected of producing a herbal liquid linked to the deaths of 29 people in Araromi-Obu and Odigbo communities, Odigbo Local Government Area, according to a report by Leadership Newspapers.

The suspect, Oloruntoba Babatunde, popularly known as “Meko,” was arrested alongside 14 others accused of selling and consuming herbal products in violation of a ban. Police spokesperson DSP Abayomi Jimoh said substances suspected to contain methanol were recovered from Babatunde and submitted for forensic examination. About 60 others were hospitalised after allegedly consuming the drinks.

The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Akure, for further investigation, while post-mortem examinations continue to determine the exact causes of death.