Four die and 14 critically ill in Benue after drinking herbal mixture sold at Oju market
Three men who allegedly sold the preparation during market day in Oju have been handed to police; the council chairman confirmed the incident.
At least four people have reportedly died and 14 others are in hospital, many in critical condition, after drinking a suspected poisonous herbal mixture bought in Oju township, the headquarters of Oju Local Government Area of Benue State, according to Vanguard and OGM News.
The reports say three men, named in different accounts as Alhaji Sule Mai Magani (also given as Magani), Bello Mohamed and Musa Kala, sold herbal preparations to residents of the Igede community during the Ihiejwo market day in Oju township. An eyewitness said the alarm was raised on November 2 after several residents who had bought and drunk the mixture began showing similar symptoms.
According to the eyewitness, the first victim died on a Tuesday morning, the second early on Wednesday, and the third and fourth victims later that week. Different reports give different figures, and the exact number of deaths has not been confirmed by officials.
The three suspects were apprehended by the leadership of the Igede Youth Council together with the Oju Local Government Area Township Youth leadership, and were then handed to police in Oju. The eyewitness said the Oju divisional police headquarters has transferred the case to the Benue State Police Command, where the suspects are under investigation.
The President of the Igede Youth Council, John-Frank Ozzidi, called on the Benue State government to ensure a thorough investigation and that justice is served. He said the youths deliberately refrained from taking the law into their own hands and did not subject the suspects to jungle justice, which he described as a sign of their confidence in the government. He also urged political officeholders from the area to follow the case so that the victims get justice and the circumstances of the suspected poisoning are fully established.
Contacted by Vanguard, the Chairman of Oju council, Jackson Ominyi, confirmed the incident but said he did not yet have the exact number of fatalities.
Questions remain about what the preparation contained and who, if anyone, tested it before it was sold. The suspects have not been charged in the reports reviewed, and the claim that the mixture was poisonous is still a suspicion pending laboratory results.
Health workers often warn that unregulated herbal products carry risks, especially when the ingredients and doses are unknown. Residents who bought anything from the same sellers during that market day are being urged to go to a hospital without delay.
SOURCE: Vanguard
