By Dayo Johnson
Akure — THE Ondo State
government said it suspected
ethanol poisoning from a local gin
for the death of over 20 persons at
Irele area of the state last week.
It dismissed insinuation that the
alleged strange disease was
contagious and put death toll at 18.
Conflicting reports emanated from
the remote community last week over
the outbreak of a strange disease
which killed the victims.
While the natives in the community
alleged that some unknown persons
committed sacrilege by breaking into
the Malokun Shrine and stole sacred
objects, government insisted such
was unknown to science.
The state Commissioner for Health,
Dr Dayo Adeyanju, speaking in Akure,
said: “Findings from post-mortem
carried out on the victims and other
laboratory tests revealed that the
disease was neither epidemic nor
contagious.
“Preliminary report shows that
ethanol poison was found in the
systems of all the victims. Our
investigations have also revealed
that the victims, who, interestingly,
were all Okada riders, gathered at
some local joints to consume
alcoholic substance mixed with roots
and some other local herbs on the
eve of the outbreak of the disease.
“I can assure you that the disease is
in no way contagious. The fact that
none of the caregivers has
contracted the disease has greatly
underscored this point.
“Therefore, the fear of spread does
not arise and should be
discouraged. We strongly suspect
ethanol poison, and in view of this,
we have ordered for another
toxicology test for surviving victims.”
The commissioner, who said there
had been no report of new cases in
the last three days, said 23 people
were affected in all, of which 18 had
lost their lives.
Dr Adeyanju pointed out that the
cases of five other survivors who had
gone blind, had been referred to the
University Teaching Hospital, UCH,
Ibadan for further examination and
monitoring.
The commissioner declined joining
issues with traditionalists who
believed that the outbreak of the
disease was a result of the atrocity of
some youths who broke into the
shrine and stole artifacts which
angered the gods of the community
Dr Adeyanju pointed out that his job
“goes beyond explaining the god’s
action as he was expected to back
up his claims with available
evidence.’’
The commissioner, however, said the
dead persons would be buried in
body bags to curtail the spread of
the disease.
Meanwhile, The Chief Priest of
Malokun Shrine, High Chief Lemo in
an interview, said the breaking into
the shrine by unknown person was a
sacrilege hence the casualties
recorded in the community.
Lemo noted that such ugly incident
was the first in the history of the
community. According to him, the
gods have been appeased otherwise
the death toll would have been
alarming.
www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/ondo-govt-suspects-ethanol-poisoning-for-death-of-20-at-irele/

This 21st century therefore we should reason like such not fetching water for some man made idols

I talk am

mkpakanaodogwu:
I talk am

wetin you talk?

White lie!!! suspected indeed, ask d gods

OkuDiOver1:
wetin you talk?

i talk am say you be fine girl.can i take you to shoprite?