The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has placed a ban on the consumption of the locally-made gin, popularly called ogogoro, throughout the country.
This follows the death of 38 persons last week in Rivers State, with clinical investigations of their death pointing to the consumption of local dry gin.
Also, the agency revealed that it will begin immediate confiscation of all illegally brewed alcoholic beverages.
The director-general of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii, who disclosed this on Monday during a joint press conference with the director-general of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Prof Abulsalami Nasidi, in Abuja, said that the agency is saddened by the fatality rate related to the incident.
“People should stop consuming ogogoro, unless they want to embark on a suide mission. The symptoms suffered by the victims of methanol-poisoned gin include vomiting, abdominal pain, blurred vision, headache, dizziness and loss of consciousness,”Orhi said.
Earlier, in April, 18 persons died from consumption of the locally brewed gin contaminated with methanol at Ayadi and Irele local councils of Ondo State.
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