The honeymoon is over for local gin aka ogogoro lovers as the federal government has placed a ban on the drinks.
The ban comes in the wake of several deaths in Rivers and Ondo States due to food poisoning linked to consumption of local gin.
Addressing newsmen, the Director General of National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii, said about the unfortunate deaths,
"A preliminary investigation by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and WHO ruled out any infectious diseases and confirmed the possibility of poisoning as the cause and in turn advised NAFDAC to conduct further investigation. The symptoms suffered by victims included vomiting, abdominal pain, blurred vision, headache, dizziness and loss of consciousness with subsequent sudden deaths of 18 victims."
Orhii who was joined at the briefing by NCDC Director, Prof. Abdulrahman Nasidi, explained that all indications showed that "these symptoms are the hallmark signs of methanol poisoning."
The NAFDAC boss further said that the "results of the laboratory investigation revealed methanol toxicity. Five samples were found to contain high concentration of methanol in them."
Based on this and the apparent high risk with the consumption of locally made gin, Orhii said considering it has become imperative to "warn the public to desist from the consumption of unregistered locally made spirits (ogogoro) and other unregistered bitters."
