NIGERIA – Alcoholic concoctions tainted with methanol left 48 people dead and another 182 sick over recent weeks in Nigeria.

The country’s food and drug regulator, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), confirmed this on Saturday (19 September).

The deaths occurred in three districts of Nigeria’s southwestern Ondo state after victims consumed the locally brewed mixture, which local media said is known as “Monkey Tail”.

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The first cases were reported at the beginning of September and the toll has gradually been rising since then.

NAFDAC said in a statement that after people bought and consumed locally prepared “alcoholic and herbal concoctions”,  “48 deaths and 182 cases have been recorded”.

Laboratory tests showed the presence of “high concentrations of methanol”, a deadly alcohol compound, and the indica strain of cannabis in samples of the suspected concoction, the agency said.

Methanol is highly toxic and causes death by organ failure as well as blindness.

NAFDAC said five people had been made totally blind and two partially lost their sight.

In the meantime, authorities have arrested 15 people in connection with production and sale of the drink, the agency said.