Ondo Herbal Drink Deaths: The Cost of a Weak Regulatory System

 

By Abdulateef Ahmed

The recent deaths linked to the consumption of a locally produced herbal alcoholic drink in Ondo State have once again raised questions about the safety of Nigeria’s informal alcohol market and the effectiveness of regulatory enforcement.

On September 5, 2026, Shola Adebayo reportedly consumed two shots of a locally produced herbal alcoholic drink known as “Monkey Tail.” By the following morning, he had reportedly lost his sight.

At least 32 other people who consumed the same batch reportedly died, while about 60 others were hospitalised. Three of the deceased were reportedly siblings.

Adebayo’s experience has brought renewed attention to the dangers associated with adulterated alcoholic beverages, particularly products sold through informal markets and roadside outlets where consumers have little means of determining what they are actually consuming.

The tragedy also carries a personal dimension for the writer, who recalled the death of his university friend and roommate, Innocent Odey, after he reportedly attempted to treat himself with local herbs.

Methanol contamination is particularly dangerous because methanol can resemble ethanol, the type of alcohol ordinarily found in legitimate alcoholic beverages in appearance and smell. Exposure can result in visual impairment, neurological damage and death.

Nigeria has experienced similar incidents before. Methanol contaminated alcoholic drinks were linked to deaths in Rivers and Ondo states in 2015, while another outbreak involving adulterated alcoholic drinks in Lagos in 2023 reportedly killed eight people and left 11 others seriously ill.

The recurring incidents suggest that the problem extends beyond individual consumer choices. They point to weaknesses in monitoring, product traceability and enforcement within the informal alcohol sector.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant agencies have a critical role to play in ensuring that products entering the consumer market meet required safety standards.

For many low income Nigerians, however, locally produced alcoholic drinks are cheaper and more accessible than branded alternatives. This economic reality has helped sustain a large informal market, making effective regulation outside major urban centres particularly important.

The challenge, therefore, is not simply to impose temporary bans whenever an outbreak occurs. Authorities must identify producers, strengthen testing, improve traceability, monitor distribution channels and ensure that legitimate small scale producers can operate within enforceable safety standards.

The human cost of regulatory failure is often hidden behind statistics.

Thirty two deaths represent 32 individual lives, parents, children, siblings, spouses and friends. Among them were three members of the same family.

For Adebayo, the experience has also left a personal lesson.

“I swear I will never take any drinks again,” he reportedly said.

His statement reflects the fear and trauma of someone who may have lost his sight after consuming a product he believed was safe.

But the responsibility for consumer safety cannot rest entirely on the individual.

Consumers can make choices about what they drink, but they cannot reasonably be expected to distinguish methanol from ethanol by sight, smell or taste. That is precisely why regulatory institutions exist.

The Ondo tragedy should therefore prompt more than temporary outrage, arrests or public warnings. It should lead to a sustained examination of how alcoholic beverages are produced, distributed and monitored across Nigeria, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

A functioning regulatory system should prevent dangerous products from reaching consumers rather than relying on victims to discover the danger themselves.

Shola is reportedly 32. Three siblings are dead. Innocent is still dead.

The real question now is whether authorities will act decisively enough to prevent another bottle of contaminated alcohol from becoming another family’s tragedy.

A bottle of alcohol should never become a death certificate.